Miami-Dade adopts rewards system for multimodal transit use

Commuters in Miami-Dade County can now get rewarded for using public transit, car-sharing, bike- and scooter-sharing, carpooling and walking, through a new public-private partnership with Velocia, a mobility app that rewards multimodal transit use in cities.

In 2017, the Mayor of Miami-Dade, along with the Knight Foundation, Miami Dade Express Authority and the Codina Family funded the Fastrack Institute led by Salim Ismail to ‘fast track’ a Miami mobility solution. The fast track objective was to partner the technology and exponential business sectors with the public sector to solve the traffic problem in Miami-Dade. The partnership with Velocia is said to be the preferred fast track solution.

Miami-Dade County Mayor, Carlos A. Gimenez, said: “This public-private model for urban transportation allows us to leverage a mobility ecosystem already in existence to create an infrastructure-light solution that rewards people for breaking the habit of travelling in cars with just one occupant. The County’s partnership with Velocia goes to the heart of our mission to reduce gridlock across our roads while creating a healthier, more sustainable community for everyone who lives and works here.”

Velocia’s rewards platform is said to encourage users to adopt a variety of transportation options available in their city by providing rewards every time they connect or use a partner mobility service on the platform, including Miami-Dade public transit. The rewards are earned in the form of “VELOS” which can then be redeemed within the Velocia mobility ecosystem, providing users with immediate discounts on available transportation services.

“Miami is set up with some of the best mobility and active transportation options available in North America. Our mission is to bring the different players together and help get people out of traffic, by incentivising commuters to try new, efficient and fun ways to get around their city, instead of relying on single-occupant vehicles,” said David Winterstein, Velocia CEO.  “Of course, the ecosystem would not be fully complete without Miami-Dade public transit on the platform. We are extremely excited to continue to grow Velocia in South Florida and work with Miami-Dade County to demonstrate how the public and private sector can innovate together to help solve complex traffic problems in cities.”