As Coconut Grove’s Circuit rideshare program prepares to begin charging many riders $2 per trip, users say the convenience of on-demand local transportation outweighs occasional glitches and long waits.
Nearly 5,800 passengers have used Coconut Grove’s new Circuit rideshare service since its May launch, embracing the app-based shuttle despite occasional glitches and long waits as the program prepares to begin charging many riders $2 per trip early next month.
Since launching in early May, Circuit has carried 5,755 passengers on more than 3,860 rides, according to Jason Bagley, a partner at Circuit.
“We are seeing a 30% increase in passengers month-over-month, and Coconut Grove has a higher production per vehicle hour than most microtransit services in the country,” Bagley said in a written statement to the Spotlight. Fort Lauderdale-based Circuit currently serves more than 40 communities nationwide, including 14 in Florida.
Beginning Aug. 11, the app will begin charging $2 per passenger for many trips. Rides for seniors 65 and older will remain free, as will trips to and from the Douglas Road, Coconut Grove and Vizcaya Metrorail stations, Miami City Hall and the MPA Regatta Harbor Garage.
Residents interviewed by the Spotlight said they are willing to pay the new fare because Circuit is less expensive than Uber, more flexible than the Coconut Grove trolley and eliminates one of the Grove’s biggest frustrations: finding parking.
“It’s just hard to find parking,” said Susan Silver, who lives on South Bayshore Drive. “And if you do find it, it’s kind of on the expensive side.”
Silver has used Circuit five times since the service launched and said it has become especially valuable during the summer, when walking even short distances can be uncomfortable.
The service, funded by the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District, or BID, Miami District 2 and the county-funded Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust, allows riders to request point-to-point trips starting from and going to any location in Coconut Grove.
Circuit operates from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
Operating the Coconut Grove service currently costs about $50,000 per month. Bagley said the new fare structure will help reduce the cost borne by the organizations funding the program.
According to Coconut Grove BID data, the most popular destinations are Grove Station Shops, CocoWalk and the ALDI at Douglas Road and U.S. 1.
William Hector, who lives in South Grove, called Circuit an essential service and said the $2 fare is “a steal.”
“As a passenger, that price completely makes sense,” Hector said. “It does make me more inclined to go out.”
The program has not been without problems. Some residents have reported wait times as long as 40 minutes, GPS errors and occasional glitches with the app.
Cooper Copetas, a West Grove resident who describes himself as a Circuit regular, said the app has sometimes rejected ride requests after initially accepting them.
“They might have to update the app,” Copetas said. “Maybe I would pay if they fixed those things.”
Copetas said he might choose Freebee instead once Circuit begins charging. Freebee operates a free rideshare service with 14 fixed stops concentrated primarily in Center Grove, between Aviation Avenue and Douglas Road.
Still, he called Circuit “a net positive to the community.”
Bagley said Circuit is updating the app to address bugs and add new features.
When the service launched, Circuit said it hoped to keep average wait times below 10 minutes. Copetas estimated about half of his rides have met that goal.
Since the service’s May launch, Bagley says, the average wait time has been 8 minutes and 54 seconds.
Circuit’s ridership has fallen somewhat short of the company’s initial projection of 4,000 to 7,000 riders per month in Coconut Grove, but Bagley said the service has experienced steady month-over-month growth.
Hector said the service helps strengthen Coconut Grove’s village atmosphere.
“It’s having something that makes it really easy to just pop over and keeps that small village feel that Coconut Grove embodies.”
Anita Li is a Spotlight reporter and Report for America corps member covering government accountability in Coconut Grove and Miami City Hall. She joins us through our partnership with Report for America, a national organization that places journalists in local newsrooms across the United States.
