As of 6 p.m. this Friday, April 10, the trolleys in Doral will no longer operate as a result of low numbers in ridership.
As the coronavirus has caused work and school traffic to slow to a trickle, the trolley, which services the Metrorail, Trump Doral, Florida International University’s main campus and many other locations, was receiving fewer and fewer customers.
“This has left a significant change in the ridership of people using public transportation,” said Albert Childress, city manager of Doral.
Three years ago, the trolley also ceased service during Hurricane Irma.
According to Childress weekly ridership was at 16,212 during the beginning of March. That was followed by 7,674 the next week and 3,943 the week after that.
Many public sectors have faced a deficit of workers due to the coronavirus. Public transportation is no exception.
According to a survey conducted by Statista Research Department on public transit, 57% of respondents in the United States said they would be much less likely to use public transport if their community was infected with COVID-19. The county has also curtailed service.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a mandatory safer-at-home order that is in effect for at least the next few weeks. The city of Doral has also put in place preventive measures to ensure the safety of its residents.
City of Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez has signed an emergency order to regulate the use of essential commercial and retail establishments, including the Doral trolleys. The service was reduced March 30 before this week’s cancellation.
Even before cancellation, all essential businesses including the trolley were required to provide hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes to employees and customers. Drivers wore masks and, Childress said, “[were] constantly having to wipe the trolleys down.”
