Route Changes For Miami-Dade Buses

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Those who rely on Miami-Dade buses to get around should be prepared to make changes for new bus routes that will take effect June 23rd.

Miami-Dade Transit has 93 routes for its 684 buses during the weekdays.  Under the revised route schedules, intervals between buses will now take longer or shorter, depending on some of the routes, according to CBS4's partner The Miami Herald.

Bus drivers will also get the chance to call the shots this year.  Of the county's 1,800 drivers, those who have been with MDT the longest will be able to pick and chose the routes that they prefer.

The "lineup" is changed every six months; drivers can pick routes within their division in June or across the county in November.

"The reason why we have lineups is provided in our collective bargaining agreement, the Transport Workers Union," Cathy Lewis, MDT's chief of civil rights and labor relations told the paper.

Drivers may change their lineup for a variety of reasons like to be closer to home or to earn more pay through overtime.

"Sometimes there are lifestyle changes," Lewis told the paper. "Sometimes as your seniority builds you see much more lucrative routes and schedules that you might want to pick."

MDT said that whatever route changes do come up will be minor. Only about 20 routes will have some type of adjustment,

When finalized the list of changes will be posted on the department's website.