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Home My WebLink AboutC2C CC 12.17.25 - MUNICIPAL CIRCULATOR SERVICES jrgDecember 17, 2025 MUNICIPAL CIRCULATOR SERVICES ITN 2024-008-ND City Commission Meeting 2 Total Fleet Size: 33 vehicles Vehicles in Operation: 21 / Spare Vehicles: 12 4 Routes, 5 Loops: •South Beach trolley (2 Loops: Loop A and Loop B) •Middle Beach trolley (1 Loop) •North Beach trolley (1 Loop) •Collins Express (1 Loop) Monday through Sunday (7 days a week), from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM 20-minute average service frequency along each route 2 Current System Overview 33 Current Vehicles Classic American Trolley, diesel, 30’ long, 12 low-floor and 21 high-floor Passenger Capacity: approx. 24 seated + 15 standing 44 Current Ridership and Service Cost Pre-Pandemic Service Level*Current Service Level Service days and hours Monday to Saturday 6AM-Midnight; Sundays 8AM-Midnight Monday to Sunday 8AM-11PM Vehicles in operation 25 vehicles in operation, 8 spares 21 vehicles in operation, 12 spares Ridership 14,500 average daily; close to 5.3 million a year 10,500 average daily; close to 3.5 million a year Annual Cost $11.8 million $9.3 million Hourly Cost High-floor $65.81/hr; low-floor $77.35/hr High-floor $72.49/hr; low-floor $84.03/hr Average cost per passenger $2.25 $2.31 *Miami Beach trolley services were suspended on March 26, 2020, and resumed services February 15, 2021 at a reduced service level 55 Trolley Optimization Study Objective •Evaluate and enhance Miami Beach’s free trolley service •Identify route optimizations, vehicle improvements, and operational efficiencies Key Findings •The trolley system is well-utilized and receives 88% satisfaction from riders •Service reliability issues due to long headways, vehicle bunching, and mechanical failures •Current trolleys are inefficient for high ridership, leading to frequent breakdowns •Route redundancies exist, particularly in Mid Beach and North Beach Recommended Optimizations •Reduce route lengths to achieve 10-12 min headways (high-frequency transit standard) •Reconfigure Mid Beach and North Beach loops for direct, faster trips •Eliminate underutilized stops and route deviations to streamline service •Replace current trolleys with dual-door/low-floor/heavy-duty transit vehicles (ex. Gillig Trolley) 66 New Vehicle Options Hometown Trolley •Low-floor •Passenger: 24-40 •Fuel: Diesel / CNG / EV •Duty: Heavy •Length: 30’ / 35’ / 40’ •Chassis: Freightliner (Custom) •Suspension: Air-ride •Delivery: 12 months production start, 2 units per month. Total: approx. 27 months Gillig Trolley •Low-floor •Passenger: 24-40 •Fuel: Diesel / CNG / Hybrid / EV •Duty: Heavy •Length: 29’ / 35’ / 40’ •Chassis: Gillig •Suspension: Air-ride •Delivery: 18 months production start, 1 unit every 2 weeks. Total: approx. 28 months Gillig Bus •Low-floor •Passenger: 24-40 •Fuel: Diesel / CNG / Hybrid / EV •Duty: Heavy •Length: 29’ / 35’ / 40’ •Chassis: Gillig •Suspension: Air-ride •Delivery: 18 months production start, 1 unit daily. Total: approx. 20 months 77 Hometown vs. Gillig Hometown Pros: •Vintage/heritage design •High degree of customization •Lighter, more maneuverable in tight urban environments Cons: •Ride quality may be less refined on cutaway chassis •Shorter vehicle life expectancy than heavy-duty transit buses •Since many 3rd party parts are used in manufacturing, it may be difficult to secure parts which may cause longer repair times •Other municipalities that recently ordered Hometown trolleys reported new vehicles arriving with persistent AC issues and engine check lights Gillig Pros: •Proven transit platform - robust and reliable for heavy daily use •Longer lifespan (10+ years) •Offers a dedicated trolley package with optional wooden seats,allowing the bus to be converted into a trolley-style vehicle Cons: •More expensive upfront •Trolley aesthetic is mostly superficial (shell design) 88 Emissions Data 99 Administration Recommended Vehicle Based on staff’s analysis of the emissions data, design/branding considerations, and cost, the recommended vehicle is a 40-foot Clean Diesel Low -Floor Gillig Trolley with Dual Doors. 1010 10/15 FERC Recommendation •Vehicle Type : Purchase Gillig Buses rather than Gillig Trolleys; •Service Hours: Reduce service from 15 hours daily (8 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days per week) to 12 hours daily (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.), focusing on commuter demand; •Spare Vehicles: Purchase only two (2) new spares while refurbishing three (3) vehicles from the City’s current low-floor trolley fleet; •Vehicle Size: Purchase 30-foot vehicles for South Beach Loops A and B, Mid Beach Loop, and North Beach Loop, and 40-foot vehicles for the Collins Express (route with the highest ridership demand). Reduces the annual operating cost from $14.7M to $12.6M given the current budget constraints in the Transportation Fund (resulting in a $3.3M annual funding gap rather than $5.4M annual funding gap based on Current Service Level). 1111 FERC Recommended Vehicle Clean Diesel Low- Floor Gillig Bus (mixed fleet of 30-foot and 40-foot buses) 1212 Branding and Vehicle Design Design Impact •Trolley: Vintage look (cupola roof, interior and exterior wood trim, oak seats with steel frame, cow catcher, bell) supports branding &ridership. Additional capital cost of $150,000 per vehicle. •Bus: Custom wrap/paint, lower cost but less iconic 1313 Vendor Comparison of Key Elements Line Item WeDriveU LSF MV Transportation Vehicles and Hourly Rates Gillig Trolley (Clean Diesel, 40’): $141.07 StartCraft Van: $130.97 Gillig Trolley (Clean Diesel, 40’): $127.99 StartCraft Van: $69.75 Gillig Trolley (Clean Diesel, 40’): $182.55 StartCraft Van: $160.79 Transition Plan Proposed an interim fleet of 2009 New Flyer 40’ Buses. Staggered replacement once the new vehicles are delivered and ready for service. TBD Cost-Saving Initiatives Revenue share from advertising (Vendor TBD). Hire a consultant for grant support. Revenue share from advertising (Outfront Media). Assistance with grants. Revenue share from advertising (potentially with Lamar Advertising). Assistance with grants. Contractor Facility Potential leased facility at 415 NE 62 St, Miami, FL 33138 (approx. 17 mins away) – no LOI. 23,700 sq.ft. will be sufficient to establish (3) maintenance bays and one (1) wash bay. EV infrastructure can be installed in the future. Existing self-owned facility at 3737 NW 43 Street, Miami, FL 33142 (approx. 19 mins away). Equipped with administrative and communications offices, above-ground fuel tanks, automatic bus wash, full ASE-Certified maintenance department (with EV certified master technicians), body shop, and complete parts and tire department. EV infrastructure can be installed in the future (currently engaged in discussions with FPL). Potential facility at 3611 NW S River Dr, Miami, FL 33142 (approx. 25 mins away) – provided LOI. 20,000 sq.ft. with three (3) maintenance bays. MV plans to fuel mobile wet-hose every evening and hire 3rd party for vehicle cleaning. EV infrastructure can be installed in the future. Public/City Benefit N/A LSF proposes to refurbish (at no cost to the City) five (5) existing low-floor trolleys to use as supplemental spare vehicles or for special events. N/A Other Requires board approval for capital expenditure to purchase vehicles and execute the agreement with the City. Option to buy existing fleet from LSF for transition period. Can place the order for new vehicles as soon as the Notice-to-Proceed is issued. N/A 1414 Key Terms of the Agreement with LSF •Contract Term: 7 years, with 3 optional 1-year renewals (total 10 years) •Routes (same as Current Service Level): North Beach Loop (1 route), Mid Beach Loop (1 route), South Beach Loops (2 routes: Loop A Clockwise, Loop B Counter-clockwise), and Collins Express (1 route). •Vehicle Type: 30-ft and 40-ft Clean Diesel Low-Floor Gillig Buses •Total Fleet Size: 26 vehicles (21 vehicles in operation plus 5 spare vehicles) •Hours: Monday through Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., year-round •Frequency (same as Current Service Level): Average 20-minute headway •Performance Penalties: On-time performance, equipment/graffiti/damage not repaired in a timely manner, Mystery Rider scores >1.5 in Safety, Reliability, Customer Service, Appearance 1515 Key Terms of the Agreement with LSF •Special Events: Additional services at negotiated rates, using approved vehicles at City’s discretion •Optional Equipment: All vehicles equipped with digital destination signs (int/ext), Automatic Passenger Counters, real-time GPS, mileage/service/ridership reports (compatible with Miami- Dade Bus Tracker), on-board CCTV security cameras, on-board TV for advertisements •Real-Time Trolley Tracker: Real-time mobile app integrated in the Miami Beach Gov app; displays trolley locations and ETA per stop •Public/City Benefit:LSF proposes to refurbish (at no cost to the City) five (5)existing low-floor trolleys to use as supplemental spare vehicles or for special events. •Cost Adjustments:Cost adjustments capped at 3% annually or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is lower. 1616 Financial Impact Statement Current Service Level is approximately $9.3M annually and funded through the following three (3) sources: 1.106 Transportation Fund = $2,063,000 2.187 People’s Transportation Plan (“PTP”) Fund = $6,166,000 3.FDOT Grant (75%/25%) = $1,075,579 Based on the Administration’s recommended 40’ Gillig Trolley and maintaining Current Service Levels, the annual operating cost would rise to $14.7M vs. the current $9.3M, creating a $5.4M annual funding gap. FERC’s recommended options would result in a $12.6M annual operation cost, reducing annual funding gap to $3.3M. Thank you