By Coral Gables Gazette staff

With about three months of ridership data now available, the City of Coral Gables’ new Southern Loop trolley route appears to be steadily gaining momentum, even if ridership is significantly below earlier predictions.

Matt Anderson, the city’s assistant director of Mobility and Sustainability, updated members of the Parking Advisory Board on Feb. 11, reporting consistent month-over-month growth since the pilot route launched in November.

According to Anderson, the Southern Loop carried 954 passengers in its first month of service, climbed to 1,346 riders in December and reached 1,437 passengers in January: “a steady climb,” he told the board. The route, which connects the Douglas Road Metrorail Station area with Red Road along Ponce de Leon Boulevard, was introduced as a one-year pilot program.

Although the ridership numbers are improving, Anderson had said that the initial estimates were 3,500 riders per month in the trolley’s initial months with that number projected to increase to 4,500 later in the year. 

The free circulator links key destinations including the University of Miami, medical offices along Ponce and nearby residential neighborhoods, while also connecting to the city’s existing trolley network.

Anderson said the city is also modernizing its fleet. A recently acquired gas-powered trolley is already in service on the Southern Loop, and another vehicle is expected to be deployed within the next month after inspections and installation of cameras and passenger-counting equipment.

Regional collaboration through a TMA

Beyond the trolley itself, Anderson said the city is getting closer to finalizing the creation of a Transportation Management Association (TMA) to formalize regional transit coordination. Over the past year, Coral Gables has held quarterly meetings with partners including Miami-Dade County, the Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust, the City of South Miami, the University of Miami and The Underline to discuss collaboration along the U.S. 1 corridor.

A TMA would bring together municipalities, institutions and potentially private-sector partners to coordinate transit services, infrastructure planning and funding opportunities. Anderson said similar models exist in West Palm Beach and cities such as Seattle, but the concept is still relatively new in South Florida.

The effort would go beyond trolley routes to include sidewalks, bike infrastructure and on-demand services, focusing on improving “first and last mile” connections. With development expanding south of U.S. 1, Anderson said stronger regional coordination is key to supporting economic growth and reducing reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.

Exploring shared bike service

Parking and Mobility Services Director Monica Beltran also floated a proposal to study whether a shared ride-share bike program could work in Coral Gables. The idea would involve docking stations, not free-floating bikes, to ensure order and avoid bikes being left randomly throughout the city.

Beltran said a properly structured program could allow residents and visitors to rent bikes for short trips between destinations such as City Hall, the Biltmore area, Venetian Pool, parks and commercial corridors. She emphasized the need for a sponsorship-based model in which a private operator provides the bikes, maintenance and docking infrastructure, minimizing direct city investment.

The proposal remains in its early stages, but Beltran said shared bikes could complement the trolley system by improving short-distance connectivity and offering an alternative to driving, particularly for residents who lack bike storage or prefer occasional use.