Would you take a bus to South Beach? | Miami Herald

Just about everyone has seen the South Beach Local circling Belle Isle. The SBL passes by every 12 minutes. It costs only 25 cents.

It will either take you straight to Publix and then to Washington Avenue and down around the southern tip of Miami Beach and back up West Avenue, or it will cross the bridge east and head south on West Avenue, back north on Washington Avenue, stop at Publix and return to Belle Isle. You can click on this and check out the precise route -- SBL-Flier (PDF).

The Belle Isle Residents Association worked hard to get the SBL to add our island to the route. Now they are working even harder to get people to ride it, producing and distributing fliers touting its convenience and benefits.

Why the big sales pitch? If Belle Isle residents — and visitors to and from the The Standard — don’t ride, we’ll lose it. Miami-Dade Transit folks are monitoring ridership on Belle Isle, and it isn’t too impressive so far.

I rode the SBL Saturday morning, I was the only one getting on.

But it’s an incredible deal for a quarter. It’s cheaper than parking, cheaper than a cab, and it’s comes by every 12 minutes. Of course, if it’s raining, waiting for the bus can be a bummer. And, sure, you could get a crazy or two as a seatmate. But if you moved to Belle Isle for a lifestyle that doesn’t require cars, it’s worth keeping.

What do you think? Have you been on the Local?