Ridership down?

I have taken buses and trains and commuted by bike and train from South Dade to Coral Gables and Brickell for three years.

Metrorail is more crowded than ever. In any given work week, with out-of-office appointments and meetings, I use at least five stations and, without fail, there are train delays and broken elevators, escalators, turnstiles and ticket machines.

In conversation with transit employees, I have learned that to fix antiquated equipment, contractors must resource old parts, which, if you count the number of days elevator and escalator repair trucks are at Dadeland South, is not fiscally efficient.

As a bike commuter, it is virtually impossible to put my bike on the train at Brickell from 5-to 6:30 p.m. because of the number of riders.

As Miami-Dade’s population grows, it is unfathomable that there is serious discussion about transit cuts. The stories about advances in transit tracking apps and such technologies are fluff: Efficient and clean equipment and timely service are what is needed.

As a car-free person in Miami with a substantial commute, I appreciate the services of Miami-Dade Transit, but it is time for an upgrade, not diminished services.

I would invite the mayor and commissioners to board the Metrorail at Dadeland South like secret shoppers, suffer the broken down A/C and packed-like-sardines cars, and then state that ridership is down and cuts in services are justified.

This story was originally published July 21, 2017 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Ridership down?."