Miami phase two report final-whole - Miami-Dade County

Taxicab Ridership Study Miami-Dade County Phase Two Report

By Tennessee Transportation & Logistics Foundation

TTLF

Ray A. Mundy, Ph.D.

Tel. (314)225-7039 Fax. (314)516-7272 Email: rmundy@umsl.edu Website: umsl.edu/~cts

March 28th, 2006

Table of Contents

A. Introduction/Executive Summary.........................................................Page 3 B. Miami-Dade County Taxi Service Questionnaire Results............................Page 5 C. Miami International Airport Taxicab Analysis & Simulation Results..............Page 24 D. Unmet Demand Analysis by Zip Code..................................................Page 42 E. Mystery Shopper Reports ...............................................................Page 55 F. Observations and Questions ............................................................Page 122

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Introduction/Executive Summary

Following is a report on the Phase Two findings of Miami-Dade County taxi surveys, secret shoppers, airport taxi data analysis and simulation, under served areas, and interviews with drivers and PSC owners conducted during the peak phase of this project. This information and data is made available for discussion purposes toward the expressed and contractual objectives of this project, which is to devise an equitable formula for the introduction of additional taxi licenses, as the Miami-Dade County community requires them.

Material and data contained within this report further demonstrates that Miami-Dade County taxi service quality and availability depends upon where you live or vacation within the County. For visitors arriving by plane and people living in downtown Miami, Coral Gables, and Miami Beach areas; hotel surveys, and un-served taxi calls analysis, indicates there is excellent taxi service available at all times of the day and night ? even during peak tourist season.

If, however, a customer is in an outlying area of the County, such as Homestead, Cutler Ridge, Carol City, North Miami, or want a short trip from the Seaport, he will most likely have a difficult time obtaining taxi service on a regular basis. Indeed, for those living in Homestead, there may be no availability of taxicab service during peak tourist season.

There would appear to be a large geographic corridor running from the airport, through Coral Gables, the downtown, seaport, out to and along the beaches which has excellent taxi service. Taxi operators can work the stands, hotels, and with radios, this central core population. Business would appear to be so good that many taxi operators feel they have no need for radios and, if working the radio, refuse calls that will take them unnecessarily away from this corridor. Finally, as stated in the Phase One report, if one is transportation disadvantaged, blind or requiring the use of a wheelchair lift-equipped taxi, with or without a 24 hour advance notice, your chances of receiving taxi service in a timely manner would appear even more difficult during this peak tourist season when taxicabs are significantly more busy as evidenced by the significant increase of airport and seaport dispatches.

Imbalanced Taxi Market ? Further Evidence

Severe unmet taxi service needs exist in some areas during peak tourist season, while there is an ample supply of taxis for other areas such as the airport, major hotels and the beaches. The lack of viable traditional taxi radio call service due to limited participation in radio dispatched services becomes acute during the peak tourist season. Taxi medallion holders (and drivers holding their own medallion) apparently permit drivers, or choose themselves, to drop radio coverage during the peak season with the attitude they will repurchase it during the off peak season if non-radio business is slow.

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Unfortunately there is no way of determining just how many taxis drivers purchase radio service, and, for those who do purchase the service, how many calls they accept unless their PSC has computerized dispatching and maintains such records. As previously stated, this situation creates a highly imbalanced market where some geographic market area needs go ignored and unmet while there is an abundant supply of taxi service in the geographic corridor from the airport to the beaches. Unlike the off peak report however there does not appear to be poor economic return for these taxi operators serving only the central corridor. In fact, drivers admit to be able to make "serious money" during this peak tourist season. Thus, any model or formula for adding additional taxi service suppliers (new licenses) must first address this significant peak time imbalance before addressing the issue of a new licenses formula.

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Miami-Dade County Taxi Service Questionnaire Results

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