How Miami-Dade Keeps Evolving the Rider Experience with Doug Bermudez

Unlike in the past, people thought technology was the answer. Yes, it is part of the equation, but at the end of the day, it, it’s the human factor. Stop Requested.

This is Stop Requested. by ETA Transit. I’m Christian. And I’m Levi. These are real conversations with the innovators, operators, and advocates driving improvements in public transportation.

Today, we’re closing out our Miami-Dade series with a conversation about the part of transit. every rider experiences firsthand, how easy it is to pay, navigate, and get help when something goes wrong. Our guest is Doug Bermudez, chief of the Easy Card Fare Programs and Customer Experience division at Miami-Dade County Transportation. and,

Public Works. Doug shares how his path from frontline customer service to leading Miami-Dade’s fare programs shaped his approach to rider experience, communication, and removing barriers across the transit journey.

Here’s our conversation with Doug Bermudez. Welcome back to Stop Requested. Today, we’re thrilled to dive into Easy Cards and rider experience with Doug Bermudez, chief of the Easy Card Fare Programs and Customer Experience division at Miami-Dade County Transportation and

Public Works. Doug, uh, great to have you today. It’s a pleasure to be here. Thank you, Christian. Thank you, Levi. I’m looking forward to the conversation. I am looking forward to sharing, uh, what we’ve done in Miami. Yes, and, and it’s a very exciting times, you know, upgrading technologies.

Uh, we have the FIFA World Cup around the corner, so definitely wanna dive into all those parts of the conversation. I wanna start by asking you to please take a, take us back to the beginning of your journey in transit, how you got into the transit industry. And in your journey, what were some of those early roles that shaped your path and, and, you know, it took you, ended up taking you to, to fare systems and customer experience? You know, how, how do you get into your role? What was your journey like? It’s, it- it’s an interesting, obviously, been here for a couple of years now, so obviously I always wanted to be in, uh, in public service. You know, I went ahead and, you know, was looking forward to being a foreign service officer. Ended up applying for, uh, the State Department and also for Miami-Dade County in public transportation. That being said, obviously, they ended up calling me first, you know, and obviously something of interest, something that I, you know,

I live in Miami, and obviously I, I have a passion for giving back into the community, helping out as much as possible. So I took that role as a transit service customer service rep, a frontline employee that would handle feedbacks, uh, complaints about the system, you know, and, and, uh, anything from the elevators to the bus not being here. So fast-forward, you know, the years went by. I was actually promoted, uh, as a administrative officer too.

Went into marketing, learned about media release, about special events, community engagement, a- and everything in regards to marketing. A- and then back in, you know, couple of years down the line, I was actually appointed to lead the division, which is, it was a brand-new division that would handle the customer experience related to the fare collection system. What does that mean?

So a- any touchpoint in regards to the system, such as, uh, the ticket vending machines, the retail sales outlets, online services, senior services, that would impact the fare collection.

You know, we would, uh, we would, you know, my team and I would actually be focused on making sure that people understood, you know, how to use the system, how to use the smart card, you know, what kind of fare programs that we have, uh, for the community, and also to make sure that people understood how it worked, what are the benefits, you know, and what are some of the advantages in regards to the system to make sure that they properly used it and to get out the best benefit out of it. You know, what’s interesting is it seems those early roles really set you up for that big role that you have today, right? Like, understanding the customers. You s- you spoke directly with customers. Like, you started, you know, entry level, just speaking directly with people riding the system, asking about how to go here, how to go there. And also, I’m pretty sure they have fare related questions, or sometimes, you know, they wanted to be reimbursed because something happened. So you had that deep understanding of the customer, and then through your marketing and, you know, public relations experience, you learn how to communicate with the community, like what are the channels, what works.

And then now in this, uh, role years after, then you’re able to tie everything together and put you in a better, uh, you know, spot to actually drive customer success for Miami. That, that’s, that’s a really interesting career, career path. It, it, yeah, I, I think it was actually one of the better kind of, uh, you know, the best trainings that I’ve ever gotten because not only did I hear feedback directly from the customers on the system itself, on the fare collection, you know, on the elevators, you know, system wide.

So I, I… It was an opportunity to actually learn the different kind of buckets, the different kind of divisions within Miami-Dade Transit. And then fast-forward, when I was, did my sting in, in the marketing division, obviously I learned about communications, about media release, about engagement, about being in, listening to the, to the riders and making sure that we got the right messaging, the information out there. So not only did I learn operations initially, but then obviously I fine-tuned my skills in communicating the message and, and relating the information to our customers.

So yeah, it, it kind of set me up for success when I was actually tapped to lead this division because I understood the customer base, the growing pains, the pain points, and some of the issues associated, so I understood that piece of it. And now, when I was in marketing, obviously I, I learned about the messaging, getting the information out, and how to communicate to, to different kind of, uh, riders that we have in the community, whether they’re seniors, whether they’re students, whether they’re our corporate partners, our institutions of, uh, higher learning. So again, it gave me a broader aspect, kind of like a, a global view of who were our riders, how can we get in- In touch with them, how can we communicate the information directly to them, and how do we get our message across? So it was the best kind of in-house training ground that actually set me up for success, which now

I happen to lead a group of about 35 individuals that- Oh, wow. Yeah. That, that handle everything from, uh, contact center operations to online services, senior services, i- issues re- regarding, uh, refunds, credits, and adjustments.

So again, our goal is to make sure that, that not only do we educate our riders, but ensure that we make them whole if there’s an issue associated with the fare collection system, whether it’s at, at a ticket vending machines, at a bus, at a retail sales outlets, or an issue with a third-party application. So it’s, it’s a very unique, very kind of hybrid kind of a, a unit that we have because, again, we interface with the different divisions within transit, anywhere from operations to finance, to communications, to even our regional partner, uh, SFRTA

Trail. So again, very specialized, very unique, and again, a lot is asked of the team. And, and I, I can honestly tell you, extremely proud to work with them, to lead them, because again, they do a great job at providing the information, assisting the riders, uh, making them whole, and actually walking them through the process, the different options that we have in regards to fare payments. Yeah. That, that’s impressive. That… And that’s a massive operations because you have a lot of services, you have a lot of people using them, and I’m pretty sure the volume of, of intake that you guys are handling every day i- is, is humongous. A- and, you know, having that direct impact to the customer experience, right, and to the ridership, because, you know, you create these relationships with the riders. I’m pretty sure you have a lot of people that call and they’re, you know, they’re, they’re frequent flyers, right? Like, they- Yeah. You always get, like, the calls from, you know, Mrs. Jones, and- Yeah … you know, and they like to talk to somebody, you know, like live to, to assist. So, you know, it, it’s, it’s good to have- Mm-hmm … the direct impact in your system and, and your riders. No, no, a- actually i- it’s a, it’s kind of like a two-way kind of relationship because so- sometimes the riders gives us a heads-up if there’s an issue, whether it’s at the fare gate, or we have a kind of like a system-wide issue on the buses, so they’re the first one to actually get impacted.

And then obviously, you know, we get notified of some issues that we can go ahead and, uh, work internally to troubleshoot, whether it’s a, an upgrade that maybe didn’t take overnight, or maybe there’s a kind of a network issue. A- and again, we have built that relationship with them. There’s a trust factor, you know, when it comes to that. But, but it’s also about making, making sure that, you know, that we understand their needs, and that we meet them where they are, and that we’re able to assist them, you know, you know, throughout the journey of e- either that particular day or throu- throughout the week.

So i- it’s, it’s, again, it’s, we’re in tune with what’s happening in Miami-Dade County and ensuring that, you know, they’re properly assisted in, in so many ways. And, you know, for, for a lot of transit professionals, sometimes some are not riders of their system or, or did not have an interaction with their system prior to their employment. I believe in our previous conversation, you told me a little bit of how your experience was like with, you know, your transit agency before you actually become an, an employee.

So could you tell us a little bit about that? What was your early interaction with, you know, your transit system? Yeah. And how did it shape, or does it sh- how did it shape, you know, your, the way you see things and, and, and the way you make decisions today in your role? Yeah. No, no, that, that’s a very, uh, that, that’s a great question, you know. A- and obviously we all have a story to tell. A- and the one that I can honestly share with you guys a- and your audience is obviously

I, I am a user of, uh, Miami-Dade Transit. You know, obviously I came to, to, to Miami- as an immigrant, and again, from a single mother, so obviously it was my brother and I. So again, we were dependent on Miami-Dade’ Transit to get us, you know, whether it was to school or to the grocery store. So again, we got used to the system, and that was our means of getting around the city, getting around the county, whether we wanted to go to the beach, whether we wanted to go to the movies.

That was the only way for my mom to actually get to work, to actually, you know, obviously in addition to the school bus, you know, to take us to school. So again, this is what I learned. This is what I know. So

I understand, you know, some of the growing pains, some of the challenges that we have in regards to the system. So I, I have an appreciation, uh, for the system, for what it does, that it provides access to people, provides freedom to people to actually move around the county, whether you’re going through to school, whether you’re going to shopping, uh, through a medical appointment. So it enables you to move, you know, uh, having a public system that can provide that, that access throughout the community. So to, to me it’s very dear. You know, obviously

I wanted to be a, a foreign diplomat, but again, we all have a different calling. And in a sense, you know, I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. You know, the goal is to make sure that, you know, I live in this community, I wanna make sure that I do good for my community, that I’m able to kind of work with the team to make sure that we facilitate, that we provide not only information, but also kind of make, make the community aware of the many programs that we have for different people in the community, whether it’s you’re a senior, whether you’re a veteran, whether you’re a low income. So, so, so again, going back to your question, it’s exactly where I need to be.

I’m leading a group of, uh, fine professionals and making sure that we provide the information, uh, that, you know, geared towards our community. So, so again, I, you know, it, it’s been, it’s been a great journey. This episode is brought to you by ETA Transit. Legacy CAD/AVL systems were designed when on-prem servers were the only option. Today, agencies need systems that leverage modern technology that are faster to deploy, easier to use, and built for constant change. ETA Transit was built to replace the old model. ETA’s web-based CAD/AVL platform works in any modern browser, connects seamlessly to what you already have, and eliminates vendor lock-in. No server rooms, no fragile workarounds, just a modern command center that scales with your operation. The next generation of CAD/AVL is here. Learn more at etatransit.com.

So Tug, there seems to be a growing interest in these customer experience, departments, and, and, you know, I think as you just stated, it’s relatively new to Miami-Dade as well.

Why do you think that is? Why do you think that there’s this gap that the customer experience perspective and then the sort of applied department, what that fills? I, I, I think at the end of the day, everything that we do, whether, you know, whether it’s our operations, whether it’s the system engineers, our IT individuals, we have a common goal, which is the rider experience, to ensure that we facilitate a, a kind of easy to, to use kind of a system. So that, that is the goal, the intent, to make sure that we understand the rider, that we’re, that we effectively communicate, th- you know, how to use the system, you know, how to remove barriers, how, how to remove kind of challenges from them using the system, a- and kind of how to, you know, how do we engage them, you know? So everything revolves around the rider, the experience, how we facilitate the journey. from getting the information out, and then, and allowing them to actually use the system, whether it’s our, through our in-house app or, or through th- third-party applications, you know? And this is where we’re getting, you know, I think this is where we’re moving to in, in res- in respect to the agencies, in respect to kind of like the industry. It’s now being more focus based on the rider, you know? Unlike in the past that it was, you know, people thought that technology was the answer. Yes, it is part of the equation, you know?

But at the end of the day, it- it’s the human factor, uh, getting in tune with the community that you serve, that you understand the riders, the pain points, and how we kind of translate that or advocate on their behalf to ensure that we provide a good quality service.

And again, transit may not meet the needs of everyone, but for the majority it does. And as we move forward, we need to kind of fine-tune those gaps to see if we can kind of meet the, the expectations of the riders.

Yeah, I really like that answer, Tug. What are some of the rider pain points that you’re currently tackling right now at Miami-Dade? I, I, I think one of the challenges here’ obviously is, you know, uh, tech- technology’s here, and, and we need to simplify that, you know? Nowadays, we’re kind of very fortunate that Miami has been at the forefront in respect to technology or at least introducing technology. So we need to kind of now simplify the experience v- versus kind of dictating to the rider, “This is what you must use,” uh, or,

“You can only use this application to ride Miami-Dade Transit.” So our goal is to make sure that we provide more options to the riders, you know, in the community, so, so that way they come prepared to, to use the system with the application of their choice or a contactless credit card, you know? A- and to make sure that we simplify our fare structure, to make them aware of the benefits of, uh, either using transit, such as a one-day fare capping, which means, you know, you get the best fare for one particular day, you know? So, so, so some of the challenges obviously getting, getting, simplifying our fare structure, making, making them aware of the options, you know? And in our community always, obviously to make sure that it’s, that it’s done in English, Spanish,

Creole, and Portuguese. I see. A- and you know, all those languages are, they’re very important in Miami. I’m, I’m sure even more probably could be included, but it, those are the ones that are i- in your limited English proficiency plan,

I would imagine. Right. You know, similar here to Palm Beach County and, and Broward County as well. Uh, y- how, how do you know that you’re doing a, a good job in terms of the customer perspective? Like, what are the ways that you would measure that when you say that you want to simplify fare payment, you know, what’s the before and after sort of picture look like, and how do you obtain that? Yeah, no, that’s, uh, that’s a great question. Obviously, we all have kind of metrics, you know, that we, uh, that we review on a, on a monthly basis, on a quarterly basis, you know? And when I say that, you know, obviously we take a look at our, our, our ridership numbers, you know, for a particular kind of system, which is, uh, either our Metrorail system, our

Metrobus system, or our Paratransit system, so, you know. So but in addition to that, it- it’s more about, you know, are, are people comfortable?

Do people understand, you know, how to pay the system? Do– Or, or have we made it that simple to ride it, you know? S- so that’s when we kind of take a look, we look at, uh, kind of like surveys, you know, engagement, you know, to ensure that they properly understand, you know, you know, and also to kind of, to get a better understanding as to where there might be a gap, whether we need to maybe take a look at our fare structure, may- maybe provide maybe more information to a particular kind of like a rider base, whether it’s a, a K through

12 students, whether it’s, uh, corp- our corporate partners, our, uh, c- K through college students, you know. So those are things that we, that we actively do.

We kind of, uh, kind of engage our riders through social media platforms, through kind of online surveys, and al- and also through our kind of, uh, i- in-house Go app, you know, looking at the feedback, some of the comments that come across, and also kind of in social media to see, to see if whatever we’re doing is resonating with the rider base or, or if there’s a challenge or a gap that we need to address, or maybe take a deeper dive to see maybe we gotten something wrong. Because again, you know, technology’s great, it’s not perfect, you know, and we’re prone to kind of, uh, make mistakes. But our goal is to make sure that we’re in tune with the rider, uh, to get their feedback to see where we can kind of address those gaps. And, and that feedback has led to that evolution of your fare payment.

So let- let’s nerd out a little bit on it. And, and, and talk about the history of the EasyCard, right? Like, that’s, that’s your fare technology. What was kinda like the all- … technology that the easy card was operated on.

And then what’s the latest and greatest do you have? Like, you know, you mentioned fare capping, you mentioned, I, I don’t know if you currently have contactless or, you know, like mobile ticketing.

Could you tell us a little bit of that history of that technology, how it evolved to what it is today? Yeah, yeah. A- a- absolutely. Before, you know, we actually introduced, uh, our easy card fare collection system in

2009. You know, prior to that, we had, uh, paper transfers, we had magnetic stripes, so obviously we’re dealing with a dated kind of technology. You know, and as you guys know, and, you know, technology’s constantly evolving.

But fast-forward, so we introduced in 2009 our latest and greatest, uh, fare collection system, which is smart cards. You know, again, smart cards, limit- limited use tickets, paper tickets, and we eliminated transfers, you know. In 2011, we went ahead and kind of integrated with, with

Tri-Rail, our regional commuter rail line in Palm Beach, Broward County, and Miami-Dade County. And then in 2016, we went ahead and kind of, uh, upgraded our fare collection system to get ready for open loop payment capabilities, you know. Mm. And in 20, in 2019, we went ahead and kind of introduced contactless, contactless payments, fare capping.

And fast-forward 2020, kind of, uh, introduced contactless payments at MetroBus. And then in 2021, we started kind of like expanding on third-party applications. So we went ahead and kind of, uh, introduced Token Transit.

And via Token Transit, obviously we expanded to Transit app, Move It, and a c- and CityMapper, and a couple of other kind of, uh, third-party applications that enable us to get ready for the future, which we’re now in the middle of a modernization project, which is to kind of modernize our 14, 15-year-old kind of a, kind of a closed loop system to an account-based ticketing system. So again, that being said, we’ve broken down into RFPs, one for the equipment, which is the ticket vending machines, the fare box, fare gates.

And right now we’re in the middle of, uh, putting out the second RFP for our, the back office, which again, you know, it’s gonna connect the two of them and make us ready for a, an account-based ticketing system that, that will enable us to gonna be future ready for the next couple of years and set us up for success. Wow, that’s a- So, so that’s a little bit of, yeah, a little bit of history. Yeah.

That, that, that, that’s a lot. I mean, that, what that says is you’re being a continuous improvement. I mean, you, you quoted each one of the years and, like, there, there was always something. And also a lot of those improvements you, you were speaking about, you put them in place ahead of a lot of other systems around the world. Like, you know, you keep leading in innovation. I, I learned of, you know, some systems in Europe just recently, uh, started with the open payment capabilities on their vehicles and, you know, you guys have had that for a moment now, and you’re getting ready to, you know, do the account base and, and take it even farther.

So that- Mm … that’s very impressive. I’m gonna put you on the spot. Yeah. But I also ask you, is there any statistics of numbers that you have on usage? Like, what’s the usage of, of Easy Card or, I don’t know, of, I don’t know, like are, are most transactions still cash? A lot of systems still is, or, you know, is as… Have you seen a transformation with these new ways of paying being introduced?

Like, could you speak a little bit of that usage? Uh, yeah, just to give you an idea, we have about approximately 270,000 riders that use the system in Miami-Dade Transit. What does that mean? We have… You know, again, that applies to our Metrorail kind of motor transportation, our MetroBus, our Paratransit, our on-demand, you know, our new service, which is, uh, MetroConnect.

It’s our new on-demand service. So again, we’re talking about maybe 270,000, you know, individuals that use the system day, in, day out. And, and for the bulk of it, I’ll be very honest, they still use the Easy Card. But what we’ have seen over the last couple of years is, uh, you know, the gradual kind of transitioning from the smart card to third-party applications and also to contactless payments.

You know, people are more comfortable, you know, with, uh, paying at the fare gate, paying at the bus with their credit card. Because again, it takes the guessing away from getting an Easy

Card, going to the TBM, putting a fare product, you know, or calling into the contact center, double checking to see if you have a fare product or a monthly pass. You know, so the, you know, we’re providing or, or we’re kind of catching up to the retail experience where people are used to kind of paying with the smart card, with, uh, their Apple Pay, with their phone. So this is where we are. That is the goal to make sure that, you know, to provide that, that experience to the riders, so that way there isn’t a need for them to either have the cash or download an app or whatever the case might be. But with that being said, yes, w- you know, we have seen kind of like a gradual shift to contactless payments, you know, but we’re still mindful that we still have those individuals that are either comfortable paying by cash or, or they wanna continue. So we do providing outlet for them, you know, for them to continue to do so by providing a, a sales outlets that work for them to actually either buy a daily pass or add a fare product to their Easy Card. So, so with that being said, the goal is to kind of, uh, continue evolving, modernizing, you know, our system, but also kind of provide those same benefits, you know, to those individuals, you know.

Such as one day fare capping. And once we implement our economy-based ticketing, we’ll be, we, you know, we’ll be taking a look at, uh, fare capping to see if it’s applicable for a seven-day pass or a monthly pass. Or we will look at, at options to, to make sure that we incentivize people to use riders.

And also kind of open up new opportunities to partner with, uh, the retail industry to maybe incentivize, reward people who are using transit more often.

Well, I imagine, Doug, that you all are going to have your hands full in, in just a, a, a few short weeks with the World Cup coming up.

Uh, you know, there’s, there’s probably a lot that you have to do to prepare for that, and it’s going to take your entire team, I would imagine, the entire Miami-Dade, uh, team to be able to, you know, kinda bring this, uh, to life. Uh, how are you all preparing for that? I mean, you, you mentioned, you know, some of these ongoing projects that you have, like account-based ticketing and y- you know, like even modernizing your, your fare payment system.

Is, is, are there any other preparations that you’re making to be able to e- ensure that it’s a, a smooth time for folks that are traveling from all over the world? But Miami- is no stranger to large scale events. You know, we’ve done this a couple of times with Ultra Music Fest. Ultra Music

Fest is a three-day, uh, electronic music festival where we’re tasked to actually transport three hundred thousand people, uh, to the event. So that being said, obviously, the fact that we have a, a n- new and k- kind of a fairly new modern s- fare, fare collection system will enable, enable us to actually facilitate a better experience.

So that way, a- anyone coming either from, from Europe or overseas that are used to paying with a contactless credit card, you know, will, will be able to do so in Miami. So that in itself, it’s quite a feat.

You know, it’ enables, enables us to prepare, you, know, that aspect of the equation. But, but the other kind of thing that is very critical to the operation, obviously, Miami-Dade County so- hosting seven games starting on

June 15, you, know, at, uh, Miami. Stadium. So one of the challenges, obviously, is that, you know, we do not have direct access to the stadium itself, you know. But that being said, we are providing four park and, ride facilities for people to use, you know, to get to and from the stadium.

So we’re kind of, uh, already kind of finalized our mobility plan that, that, that is very comprehensive, you know. And also, we’re gonna be working with, uh, oper- the operational team to ensure that we deploy transit ambassadors system-wide over the duration of not only the games but also the Fan

Fest to, to, to, so that way we can ensure that our ex- existing rider base are fully aware to be prepared to expect kind of a, an additional influx of people, you know, and also to be patient, you know, with, uh, the service in itself.

So, so we are making preparations. We’re kind of fine-tuning. We’re getting the information out through our social media platforms, through our online kind of, uh, websites, through our, our county call center to make sure people are fully aware, they know, that the games are gonna be here, that Miami-Dade County is hosting seven games in addition to Fan

Fest, and to prepare ahead, to plan ahead, to be fully aware of the fare structure, and also to be aware of the ease of paying. So again, we wanna take that, the guessing away from, of people b- you know, looking, looking to either trying to pay with cash or trying to purchase an, an Easy Card. You know, we wanna prepare them beforehand that, that, you know, that we have options available to them. And not only options, but we also have, you know, like I said, a one-day fare capping that gives them the best fare to k- to navigate throughout the county.

So the goal is to make sure that we provide the information beforehand, that it’s done in multiple languages, but also in addition to that, to improve on the information that we have at the stations, everything from, uh, digital electronic boards to wayfinder signing, and also to kind of, uh, do targeting messaging to, you know, with partners such as, uh, the Hotel Association, you know, airlines, you know, working in conjunction with Miami Airport in addition to Broward County Airport,

Fort Lauderdale Airport, and a couple of other major players throughout, uh, South Florida to make sure that we get the information out as much as possible, and also to prepare our in-house personnel for additional influx of phone calls, online s- you know, online services, and to make sure that our people are, are ready, uh, anywhere from, uh, the operational team to our financial services team to our treasury service team to make sure we can deploy them if there’s a need to deploy them for, to troubleshoot the ticket vending machines, the fare gates, additional staffing to provide basic trip planning information to regular riders and also tourists. So it, it, it’s a big task, but obviously, like I said before, we, we’ve done this before. W- we’re comfortable where we are. Are we gonna have challenges? Absolutely. But with any challenge, we have to kind of pivot, you know, and we have to kinda make sure that our frontline people are up to date, are informed, and ready to, to help out in, in whatever capacity they can. Yeah. Well, you’re certainly going to be busy, but I’ve got full faith in you and your team- … down there in Miami-Dade, uh, that, y- you know, and, and also all the regional partners because it i- it is a collective effort to make sure that this is a successful event for the region. Great point.

This is not a Miami-Dade County only effort. I’m glad you pointed that out. This is a, a, a regional effort. You know, again, we’re working with, uh, our great partners in, in Tri-Rail, Brightline, Broward County Transit, obviously Miami International Airport,

Fort Lauderdale Airport, and also, of course, the Hard Rock/Miami Stadium where we’re gonna have the seven games, and also the city of Miami, where we’re gonna have, uh, Fan Fest i- in downtown Miami.

So again, we’re expecting a lot of people to come in, you know, to use our system. You know, and we want, like I said, we wanted, uh, get the information out as much as possible a- and make our existing rider base feel comfortable and for them to be aware that, yes, we’re gonna have additional people, you know, but, yes, we are prepared, the, you know, for the capacity, for the influx of people that are gonna be coming in. And our goal is to make sure that we assist them as much as we can and provide a great service, you know, and, and an overall good experience with our system. And it sounds like you’re thinking comprehensively about it. You know, you’ve got these partnerships in place with the, these surrounding organizations that are, you know, also supporting this effort. So really looking forward to seeing how this is gonna turn out for the region. Very excited for the World Cup, obviously, and, you know, that it’s here in our backyard is pretty exciting.

I know that Christian is also pretty pumped about it. So, um, you know, just shifting gears j- just a bit, Doug, I, I wanna ask you something about y- innovations in your department. And, you know, the, the talk of the the land right now is artificial intelligence and using large language models.

Is that something that you all have considered to, considered implementing at Miami-Dade County just to be able to facilitate the interaction with y- your customers and riders? Absolutely. I, I, I think that it’s something that not only are we looking at it, you know, we’re actually kind of, uh, taking, uh, steps to actually, uh, uh, on a countywide kind of effort, uh, not only in transportation, but throughout the entire kind of county enterprise. But specifically when it comes to Miami-Dade

Transit, obviously, how can we make the experience more better through artificial intelligence? Obviously, we can do a personalized kind of, uh, experience for the riders, you know, kind of, uh, get the data and actually t-take a look to see who’s riding what, what are some of the, you know, how can we provide more information, more, more targeted information. So, so we’re looking at that through our, our, our applications. And we’re also looking at, you know, kind of, uh, when it comes to the maintenance, whether it’s, uh, the elevators, the escalators, uh, and not only on the buses, but we’re taking a look to see, you know, how can we leverage that to, to get more information, to provide more information to the rider, whether, uh, you have an escalator that it’s not functioning or out of service. So, so there are a couple of steps that we’re taking. We’re, you know, o-one concept that we’re doing, it’s the na- NaviLens project. You know, and that is kind of like a w- way finding signage, you know, that we have, that we’re piloting at a government center.

The goal, the goal is, uh, with that pilot, is to provide information to the disabled community, you know, for them to actually be able to utilize our Metrorail system, our MetroMover system on their own, you know. And, and again, that is all app-based. It’s through artificial intelligence, you know. And, and we’re kind of, uh, kind of halfway through the pilot where we’re, we’re collecting data, kind of getting feedback to see how we can kind of fine-tune what are some of the pain points, what are some of the issues. So that being said, you know, we are kind of taking steps to actually gradually introduce, you know, artificial intelligence to enhance the experience with transit, not only from the customer experience level, you know, where it’s, uh, it’s either contact center having

AI be able to provide information twenty-four, twenty-four, twenty-four/seven, versus what we have now, which again, it’s from 8:00 to 5:00. So we wanna make sure that we

, you know, provide information twenty-four/seven, that we’re actually able to provide information about our services, the escalators, options on, on the individual where to buy fare media. But also kind of, you know, when you look at, at the maintenance, you know, taking a look at, you know, you know, how can we e-enhance the maintenance of our buses? What are some of the gaps? You know, so, so there’s a lot that, that we’re looking at. Oh, that, that seems to be a very comprehensive process and, and, and it might… It seems to be tied to a vision of how that rider experience is going to look like in Miami, how it’s going to evolve.

Uh, if you could kinda like summarize that vision, how would it sound like? You know, for riders, what’s that, you know, better customer experience or, you know, o- once all those projects are in place, could you kinda like describe that experience? The, the, uh, the experience is for, for you not to even worry about how to pay for your fare, honestly.

A- and when I say that, meaning do, do I need a smart card? Do I need a contactless card? Do I need, you know, to download an app?

You know. We, w- we wanted to kind of remove that challenge, that barrier, you know, for you not to think how to pay versus just going through, whether it’s down the line through biometrics, uh, you know, th- through a visual, through a thumbprint. S- so we’re looking at h- how do we facilitate, how do we kind of meet the rider where they are? Uh, how can we make it easier? How can we simplify it? You know, how can we integrate other kind of modes of transportation?

A- again, because, yes, Miami-Dade Transit, it’s quote unquote “MetroBus, Metrorail, on-demand paratransit.” But again, we are part of the, the answer, part of the equation as to how we move people, and people move through, you know, the TNCs, through U- Uber and Lyft, through on-demand. We have autonomous vehicles. So the goal is to make sure that we’re able to integrate, you know, through one account, you know, a- and make it as seamless as possible for people to move, whether it’s in Miami to

Fort Lauderdale, to Palm Beach, you know, without, without worrying about whether they have the right device to actually pay. So that is the goal, to make sure that we facilitate that experience. A- and who knows? Maybe down the line, maybe integrated with, uh, the airport, you know.

Again, this is where w- we’re, we’re moving to that kind of like, that kind of experience where kinda like the Expedia, kinda like these kind of different kind of, uh, inclusive, integrated applications where you can actually book your flight- Mm … your hotel, you know, and so on. So we wanna make sure, you know- Rent cars, everything. Yeah. Yeah. Like, you know, one, one place where you can, you know, kinda like plan all your mobility-

Yeah … and then connect to whatever mobility works best for you. I like, I like the fact that the focus is a lot of the integration. Yeah. Like giving people all the options. Not even, you know, of course, more options, but it, it kinda sounds like all the options.

Like, you know, whatever mode, whatever app you wanna use, oh, you like that app? Use that app. Yeah. You know, we… Power information is in there. We try to make it as easy to- Right … you know, plan to pay. So whatever is your way, you know, like, “Oh, I just wanna do cash.” Okay, we’ll take your cash. “Oh, I just wanna use my credit card. Just don’t wanna go to a vending machine.

I just wanna get on and ride.” All that you guys accommodate. And then, you know, you’re also providing the fare capping and the benefits for those that actually, you know, wanna save some money and, and, you know, make sure they’re being rewarded for their loyalty. So that- Correct. Yeah … that seems to be a very, you know, interesting vision, and, and I know you guys will get there. It- it’s all that progression you spoke about at the beginning of the conversation, of the evolution of the fare system, it only speaks about the future, about how you’re just gonna continue evolving and adding more ways and easier ways for riders to be able to access mobility in the Miami-Dade County area. Are, are you, are you exploring at some point, or I don’t know if you already have- Yeah. Mm-hmm … any kinda integration with, like, the line scooters or, like, electric bikes or, you know, other first/last mile kinda, like, mobility options?

I, I, I, I think we will get there soon o- once we issue our back office RFP, which is gonna be account-based ticketing. A- and again, the goal with that is to set us for the future, ready to integrate, whether it’s with our, our, our bullet train, which is Brightline, with, uh, with, uh, Broward County, with Palm Beach, with the TNCs.

So, so, so again, o- once we have that system in place, yes, integration is… it will be much easier or simpler. You know, and again, it’s gonna give kinda like the rider that one account that they can actually use, you know, whether it’s in Miami-Dade

Transit, on Broward County, Tri-Rail and so on. So it’s gonna give the, you know, more options to the rider. You know, they’re gonna be able to, to check, you know, ev- you know, m- maybe take an Uber, Lyft, or Freebee, whatever the case might be, for the first mile until they get to Miami-Dade Transit and so on. So, so we’re not there yet, but we will be getting there fairly soon, though. Yeah. And, and you’re also looking holistically at the region. Mm-hmm. Right? Like, not just Miami, but, you know, the, the more connected and the more regional the vision is, and, and more of these systems interconnected, then the easier it is for people not just to navigate your county, but also to navigate the, the neighboring counties and have a, you know, more seamless transition.

And, and it’s helping everybody in South Florida, right? Like, even the neighboring agencies. You know, if you’re- Right … kinda making it easy for people to ride transit, not just in your county, but across the region, I mean, those are cars that are being taken off the road and, you know, people are, are riding public transportation. So that, that sounds like a great vision, and I know-

Yeah … you, you’ll be getting there. I, I wanna ask you, what was… I wanted to ask you about the advice for a customer- Mm-hmm … experience or fare technology professional that is listening to our show that is somewhere else around the country, maybe dealing with some early projects or maybe some more advanced projects. E- do you have maybe one or two piece of advice from the customer experience lens and from the fare technology lens that you wanna share with them? Uh, yeah, no, no. I,

I, I think that’s… Again, you guys have a good quest- good questions. But that being said, obviously, before anyone kind of like embarks on a kind of like trying to modernize their system, I, I think you need to take a look at what, what are, what are some of the gaps? What are some of the issues that your agency is facing? You know, you, you also kinda have to take a look at the funding, you know, and then the maintenance of it. You know, because again, that requires maintenance.

You know, so tho- those are s- you know, some things that I would take a look. You know, what are some of the gaps that you’re trying to address? What are some of the pain points? You know, you know, a- and again, do you wanna kind of maintain hardware versus software?

You know, in regards to the industry, we’re moving away from a lot of kind of like, uh, devices per se. You know, everything’s going more like app-based, more digital. It’s more simpler, but it does require an integration. It does require maintenance, you know. So obviously I, I would, you know, if someone’s interested in more information, obviously I would tell them, “Look, take a look at your neighbors, your peer agencies, your colleagues.” Another good source of information is, uh, APTA, the American Public Transportation

Association, and there are multiple committees, you know, that you can take a look for more information and kind of to get a, to bounce ideas or, or to get more information, you know, on what some of the challenges that, that you’re facing.

I, I happen to be part of the Fare Collection System Committee. You know, again, this is a national committee where we kind of, uh, meet on a, on a regular basis to kind of discuss some of the challenges, some of the issues about, you know, that, that we’re facing as an i- and as an industry, you know. And also to, to kind of, uh, take a look who’s doing what, you know, who’s introducing a, a new system, new technologies, what are some of the pitfalls, some of the challenges, and also the communication piece, you know. That’s another kind of a biggie because technology’s great, but it’s also about the messaging, the information. How do you kind of introduce that to our, your rider base? So these, that’s o- one advice that I would say. I- in regards to the customer service experience, technology is not the kind of like the answer of, of, of, of everything that we do.

It, it’s part of the equation, you know. You have to understand the rider, you know, and, and then the messaging has to be simple and almost like in sound bites because again, we’re, people are pressed for time. People are kind of multitasking all these other things. So, so these are some of the things that

I, I would kinda like let someone know that, you know, get to know your rider, what are the challenges, and then how do you effectively communicate, you know, to, to that rider base, but also kind of your in-house people as well.

You need to make sure that you start educating the stakeholders within department or your agency, you know. And, and when I say that, everyone from, uh, the operators to, uh, the, the phone agent to, to the cashier, these are the people that need to be, you know, fully in tune to what’s going on, you know, and, you know, in order to be, to help the rider, you know, be successful. So Doug, as we round third here on the podcast- Mm-hmm … we have a recurring segment, uh, that we have some rapid fire questions for you. Just a quick answer and, you know, whatever comes to mind. Sure. And we will… So are you ready for that?

Let’s do this. All right. What is your favorite fare a- app feature that’s out there that you’ve used? I, I gotta be honest, it’s… I’m a little torn between two. But, but one of them has to be the fare capping. Um, like, that gives you-

Mm … the best fare no matter what. So, so a- again, without maybe knowing what, what could be the, the outcome, you know, at the end of the day, you know, you’re gonna see that, wow, you know, I did save money, you know, by going this route, you know. So, so that, that’s a plus, and, you know,

I love that. It, it’s a win-win for me. You know, it’s an easy sell for me, you know, from my end, you know. And of course, it’s, uh, it’s a great experience for the rider.

Yeah. Excellent. What is one customer experience win that you’re proud of? I, I think, obviously, going back to COVID, back then we were doing… kind of like everything was manual, so it, it forced us to actually automate and actually kind of, uh, put everything online. So one of the great things that we actually did in Miami-Dade County was actually, uh, we have our, our Golden

Passport program. So again, that’s a very, you know, very manual. People would have to come in and everything else, so we were able to actually make it available online.

So, you know, so that way, you know, people wouldn’t have to come, you know, in person. So again, I, I think that’s a, a great achievement. It provides a better experience.

And again, someone from the southern part of the county no longer has to come to downtown Miami. You know, they’re able to a- actually apply, you know, and then we can actually mail the card ri- directly to their home. So, so I think it’s a great, you know, one of the great achievements that we’ve done here, so. Definitely.

That’s one to be proud of. But- Next, what is your go-to Miami spot that you’d like to go to via transit? That’s a good one. I, I happen to work in downtown Miami, so obviously, my go-to would be, uh, Brickell, which is kind of like the arts, kind of like the arts, financial district. Great restaurants. So if anyone has- hasn’t been to Miami, obviously, I invite you to take Metrorail or MetroMover to Brickell City Center. Again, a lot of great options, not only for shopping, restaurants, drinks, you name it. It’s kind of like what’s happening in Miami. So yes, that, that’s the place.

Yeah, excellent choice. I love that one. And lastly, what’s your favorite transit system that you’ve used? That’s a good one. I gotta say in Japan. You know, actually, everything from, uh, the on time, the ease, the comfort, and we go back to what we’re trying to accomplish in Miami here, you know. Kind of like a, a simplified experience. Again, uh, language was not an issue. You know, again, I was able to download the app, get, get the Suica card, and actually pay from one, obviously, from one city to another, and actually travel efficiently, on time, and, you know, everything from waiting for the train w- on the queue line, the information on, that was displayed on the floor, you know, inside the train. So everything was clean, simple, basic, and straightforward. So that was, it was a great experience.

A- and hopefully, I know we’re taking baby steps, you know, in the US, and kind of rep- you know, maybe not replicating, but, you know, taking, you know, pieces, you know, to actually kind of, uh, provide at home. So, so I, I think it’s a great system. It’s a great example to, to others, you know, of what transit is possible, what we can do to move millions of people efficiently, safe, you know, with, y- you know, through, through an app. You know, simple as that, you know.

So yes, love it. Yeah, that’s a, a great choice. I don’t think we’ve had anyone that, uh, has said Japan thus far on the podcast, and we ask this question nearly every time. Uh, but it is certainly an aspirational target for the US, for, for sure. Uh, and as a part of our podcast, we have these, this other reoccurring segment where we give the key takeaways. So I wrote down a few while you were speaking. Uh, one, and I think you said this a couple times, y- you know, be comprehensive or holistic in your thinking. You know, be a, an integrator of sorts to make that rider experience, uh, better. Yes. Also, stay in touch with the riders. Really keep your ear to the ground on what the feedback is that’s, that’s coming from the rider. Uh, and meet them where they are, and I, I think that’s an important point, that you, you have to kind of bridge that between the agency and the rider, and I think that’s exactly what your customer experience group is designed to do. So sounds like you’re, you’re right on target there. And then lastly, communication, right? If you’re not communicating to the riders on what upcoming events are or changes to routes, then y- you’re really going to miss the mark, and you’re going to have some upset riders when you put your ear to the ground and y- you hear the feedback.

So you all have, yeah, again, taken this comprehensive approach to be able to listen to your riders and then enact and, and be there for them as a support system to use the system. Did I miss any? Cor- cor- not only listening, you capture everything, you know. Yeah, and those kind of, uh, four bullet points. So, so again, at the end of the day, we’re actually here, you know, and everything that we do, you know, like I said before, whether it’s, uh, the operational team, the finance division, whether it’s the engineering team, the planning, the scheduling, at the end of the day, our goal is to make sure that we provide a, a system that can be used, that is simple to use, you know, for the rider to, to move people to where they need to be.

Th- that is the common goal that we all have, you know, to provide a better system, a better experience. And yes, transit does have limitations, you know. Uh, and it, and it may not be for everyone, but for the majority, it does work, and it, and it does function, and it does what it needs to do.

That we have challenges? Absolutely, like in every system. But at the end of the day, you know, we have to be in tune with, uh, uh, the riders, find out what are the pain points, and see how we can address them, you know. But one of the things that we do, that can be done, is through the messaging, through the engagement piece, and having a honest conversation. direct- You know, a conversation with each and one of them in regards to the service and some of the pain points and, and to get them ready for one of our special events such as the FIFA World Cup.

Because again, again, this is a, a massive undertaking for all the 11 cities throughout North America, but it’s about getting the information out, you know? And again, this is, this,

I, I, I think this is a no-brainer because again, you know, it’s providing good customer service by providing information. At least you keep them informed, and that’s what really matters and, you know, to the riders. Absolutely, and I think that’s a, a great place to leave it. Doug, this has been a really superb conversation. Always appreciate talking to folks from Miami-Dade because you all have so many projects going on, one, a- and two, you, you’re, y- you know, you’re just innovative in the sense that I think a, a lot of transit, agencies around the country maybe, you know, kinda run business as usual. I don’t ever get that sense out of the, the, you know, folks from Miami-Dade. So again, thank you so much for joining us. If our, uh, listeners are interested in connecting with you or finding out more about Miami-Dade Transit or, you know, some of these events that, that you’re going to be, you know, helping to, to serve, uh, how can they do so?

Uh, uh, yeah, no, a- absolutely. Uh, they can either go to our transit webpage, which is Miami-Dade County Tr- Transp- Public Transportation. That’s one. Or if they wanted to actually reach out directly to me, by all means, I, you know, I have, uh, my LinkedIn page. Feel free to look me up,

Doug Bermudez. A- and again, my, my goal is here to, to help in what I can, to help my colleagues, you know, a- and whether it’s, uh, whether it’s in fare collection, provide more information, or any of the information that we’re do- or anything that we’re doing at Miami-Dade County, whether it’s anything from, uh, innovation projects through fare collections to CAT ABL or South Bay RT.

Again, you know, I know, that this is an hour, you, know, but again, there’s so much going on i- in Miami-Dade County in regards to, new programs, new projects, you know. A- and, and again, here to help in what I can and to share information. Well, really appreciate your time, Doug.

And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to Stop Requested. We’ll be back next Monday with another episode.