Friday, December 9th is the inaugural Public Transit Day across South Florida. A community day of action where all locals and leaders are encouraged to ride public transit to get to work and share their experience on social media. It's a great initiative, unfortunately we think the producers missed an opportunity by making no mention of combining bicycles with transit on this day.

Riding a bicycle to a nearby train or bus station is a great alternative if the distance to/from your destination is too far to walk. So, we're encouraging those of you who own a bicycle to give Bike & Ride on Transit a chance on Public Transit Day.

 Take a photo on transit that day and use the hashtag #PublicTransitDay to share with everyone. 
*Show that picture when claiming goodies from participating activations and at event locations


The Story of Public Transit Day:

"Public Transit Day is based on the top idea from the 100 Great Ideas public transit campaign, an idea which stressed that in order for our region to make meaningful improvements to our transit system, elected leaders will need to make it a top priority, and they will need to feel the community's support behind them. Many elected leaders and engaged locals do not actually ride public transit, and this day is all about getting our community leaders and locals to USE transit, engage in the wins and struggles of our system, and commit to prioritizing improvements in the coming years. What started out as a Miami-focused effort has now expanded to include transit riders and leaders in Broward and Palm Beach. All-in-all, the goal of Public Transit Day is to highlight the importance of strengthening South Florida's existing public transportation system, both to improve the economic potential of our city and to improve quality of life for our residents." 


Below is a list of free perks and specials at various happenings throughout Public Transit Day:

Early Morning Coffee & Snacks
7:00am - 9:00am
Join us bright and early for Friday morning coffee & snacks presented by Jackson Health System and celebrate South Florida's first Public Transit Day!

Free Admission - HistoryMiami Museum 
10:00am - 5:00pm
HistoryMiami Museum will be offering free admission to anyone who takes a picture of themselves on public transit on their way to the museum on Public Transit Day and then posts it with the hashtags #historymiami #publictransitday! HistoryMiami is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, preserving and celebrating Miami's history. While at the museum, people can check out the original mode of public transportation: the trolley! You can reach the museum from the MetroMover which is a free tram around downtown Miami.

All Day Specials
10:00am - 6:00pm


Free Admission & Coffee - Pérez Art Museum Miami 
10:00am - 6:00pm
Visitors who arrive to Pérez Art Museum Miami  (PAMM) by public transit on Public Transit Day will receive free museum admission and a free 10oz coffee from Verde. Just post a photo of your journey to PAMM on social media with the hashtags #PublicTransitDay and #PAMM and show it at the Visitors Services desk for entry and Verde Miami to redeem a coffee. Travel to PAMM quickly and free via the Metromover to Museum Park Station.

Picnic Lunch at The Underline | Brickell Station
11:30am - 2:00pm
Lunch with The Underline! Bring your lunch and enjoy energetic conversation, great music & fun activations as we discuss how to strengthen Miami's public transit sytem. Drinks by Harmless Harvest, video booth by The New Tropic, snacks from EVOS and more! RSVP for this free event.

Mayor's Press Conference
11:30am - 12:30pm
Take transit to Palmetto Golf Course for Public Transit Day's official press conference. Meet at the Community Room and show your support for transit!

City of Miami New Trolley Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
12:00pm - 1:00pm

Buskerfest Miami
4:00pm - 9:30pm
Join in on the fourth annual Buskerfest Miami Street Performance Festival in Downtown Miami on December 9th! This year will feature approximately 40 groups of local musicians, acrobats, comedians and dancers adjacent to the Inner Loop stops of the Metromover. Grab a festival passport from any location to track your travels, collect stamps and enter a free raffle, vote for your favorite artist and take advantage of great deals with nearby restaurants, bars and retailers. At 8pm, enjoy a feature show from Miami’s own urban soul powerhouse, Ketchy Shuby, at the Tina Hills Pavilion in Bayfront Park.It’s the party in the street that’s sure to move your feet! This event is FREE (no RSVP required) and suitable for all ages.

Happy Hour(s)
5:00pm - 8:00pm
Taurus Beer & Whiskey House - Free Hatuey beer
Sweat Records - Free cold brew
ACME Lounge in the Arts + Entertainment District - Pitstop happy hour
Mina's Mediterraneo - Free beer and DJ jams
The Wynwood Yard - Public Transit themed cocktails


Update:

 The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is calling on the business community to join them in riding for #PublicTransitDay. Register online for free to ride with the Chamber and attend a reception promoting multimodal transportation and you'll get a free CitiBike pass (good for Friday, December 9th). Plan to meet at the Chamber’s Omni offices if you’d like to ride into Downtown, by bike or by transit, with one of their designated groups.