• Are overly burdensome for daily riders. A 50 cent per-ride overnight increase in fares for Metrobus and Metrorail passengers amounts to at least $1 more each day (plus transfers) for riders who regularly rely on the system. While free and discount fare programs can insulate some of the most vulnerable riders from these changes, the proposed fare increases represent hundreds of dollars in additional costs each year for thousands of Miamians living through a crushing affordability crisis.
• Are steeper than those of peer systems. Transit fares have been trending up across the country over the last decade, and Miami-Dade’s 12-year period without an increase makes us an outlier. However, best practices suggest that fare increases should be paired with service improvements, rolled out gradually, and be of a reasonable percentage—to enable riders to adjust to the change and to avoid drops in ridership. A 22% increase in a single step, as this budget proposes, does not meet this criteria and is out of sync with peers that have increased fares by 25¢–30¢ only after a 6 to 12 month community engagement period.
• Will force STS riders to pay more for a critical service with no alternative. Special Transportation Services (STS) is a fully contracted service with a long history of “unreliable” performance, and at $3.50 per ride, it is already more expensive than bus or rail fares. Forcing our most vulnerable residents to pay more for a service that is already pricier than standard transit—without any meaningful improvements—is unacceptable.
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With this context in mind, our ask to Commissioners is simple:

• Protect core transit services: Preserve all current Metrobus, Metrorail, and Metromover service, in line with the proposed budget.
• Scale back the fare hikes: Reduce the proposed 50¢ bus/rail hike and eliminate the proposed 75¢ STS increase entirely.
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📣 Take Action Now

• Email your County Commissioner using our template: Demand they protect core transit services and scale back the proposed fare hikes.
• Call your County Commissioner’s office using our call script: Be polite but confident—your voice matters, and their staff is here to listen.
• Show up at Mayor Levine Cava’s budget town halls: Make your voice heard at the Mayor’s meetings, ongoing until August 7th.
• Mark your calendar for the first Budget Meeting on September 4th at Stephen P. Clark Government Center in Downtown.

What Else Is In The Budget?

If the budget passes as is currently proposed, here’s what to expect in the new fiscal year which begins on October 1st, 2025:

• There will be no changes to core transit services—namely Metrorail, Metrobus, and Metromover service.
• Funding for Metroconnect will be scaled back by $11 million, resulting in the elimination of most, if not all, service.
• Riders on Metrorail and Metrobus will pay higher fares; fares will increase for the first time since 2013, from $2.25 to $2.75 (by $0.50 or 22%). STS riders will also pay more to ride that service, with fares increasing from $3.50 to $4.25 (by $0.75 or 22%). Metromover will remain free to ride. 
• Drivers will also pay more, to fund preventive maintenance for roads and other infrastructure. The Capital Improvement Local Option Gas Tax (CI-LOGT) will increase from $0.02 to $0.05 per gallon. Tolls on the Venetian and Rickenbacker Causeways will increase from $2.25 to $3.25 (by $1.00 or 44%).
• The South Dade TransitWay is fully funded for both capital and operations, with service expected to launch later this year (🥳).