Low ridership could end ferry service between Miami Beach and City of Miami

By Steve Maugeri

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — As part of a one-year pilot program and a way to cut down on traffic congestion, Miami Beach pays a ferry $50,000 a month to take people to and from Miami Beach to the City of Miami.

The ferry isn’t going away, but the city is considering pulling the plug on funding free trips to Miami because of low ridership.

David Ballard prefers the Poseidon Ferry over sitting in traffic on the way to Miami.

“We actually went on the weekend, it was full and it saves us having to deal with parking and sometimes the causeway on the weekend is backed up bumper to bumper the whole way,” Ballard said.

He’s been using it for about a month.

In the last City Commission meeting, City Commissioner David Suarez said the rider numbers aren’t worth the cost.

“During that month we’ve only had an average of 45 riders per day. And that was for free,” Suarez said.

Suarez says he wasn’t on the City Commission when this deal was made. Just about a month in, he’s proposing ending it. He says the city has unsuccessfully tried paying for a ferry before.

“I just don’t think it makes sense any sense to take it away now. They haven’t really had an opportunity to get it up and running,” Ballard said.

CBS News Miami asked Suarez if he thinks this move is premature.

“No, considering this has already been tested I believe twice before instead of wasting more taxpayer money based on the given numbers, it’s the right thing to do,” Suarez said.

David Guthrie Is the Captain of the ferry, he sent CBS News Miami logs from the weekend, which show 304 people rode the ferry Saturday and Sunday. He says word is getting out and more people are using it each week, especially in the afternoons on weekdays.

“You just gotta give it a chance. How are you gonna know something doesn’t work if you don’t keep trying,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie directed CBS News Miami to the ferry’s owner for comment on the proposal to end the deal, the owner said he’d prefer to talk after he gets to address this with the commission at their next meeting in September. Starting August 5th, the ferry will cost 5 dollars for Miami Beach residents, and 12 dollars for non-residents.

Suarez says the item likely won’t move much until the next city commission meeting, he says he may be open to changing his mind if more people start using the ferry.

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