Hialeah is known as the "City of Progress," and they’re making progress with public transportation by offering free options to get around the city.
Hialeah has partnered with the ride service company Freebee which offers 100% electric, on-demand car service within the city.
“All the buses in the city of Hialeah are free and our on-demand service is free,” said Justo Esposito, the Transit Manager with City of Hialeah Transit.
For the free Hialeah Transit city buses, there are the Marlin and Flamingo routes.
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“People get stuck in traffic and they get frustrated. We know traffic is not a recipe for economic development, so one of the things I wanted to do was analyze our bus system here and how much revenue it was generating," said Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo. "We came to the quick realization that the best option here was to make it free."
To request a ride, download the Freebee app, and a car will pick you up at your location and take you where you need to go within the service area in Hialeah.
For the city transit bus, riders can use the ETA SPOT app to track and time when the bus is arriving or leaving.
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The free transit options are meant to complement each other and provide first and last-mile connectivity without the need for a personal car.
“It’s better to have both systems in every single city. The on-demand service if you’re going to a specific doctor’s appointment or store, it can take you there," Espinosa said. "And then if you’re there and feel like eating something down our main avenue on 49th street, you can use our transit service."
City transit managers say ridership has increased since they decided to make their buses free last year and after they introduced Freebee over two years ago.
“Our reception here with our on-demand service has reached an all-time high of 11,000 riders last month," Espinosa said. "Our transit is making almost 30,000 riders every month that we’re picking up."
City leaders say the half-penny tax covers most of the cost of these public transit options.
The Freebee hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
More information can be found here.
