Coral Gables residents who commute along the U.S. 1 corridor could eventually gain a new transit option: a trolley connection into South Miami, backed by a partnership between Coral Gables, South Miami and the University of Miami. The effort is still in its earliest planning stages.

Board member Henry Pinera reported on the initiative at the Transportation Advisory Board's Tuesday, July 21, meeting, describing a recent session with county officials aimed at creating a Transportation Management Organization to govern the expansion.

"It was a meeting with South Miami, part of an interagency (effort) to be able to use the trolley for South Miami, the Gables, and University of Miami," Pinera told the board. "It's setting the rules of what, where, when, how, and all that other stuff (to do it)."

None of the discussion resulted in official action. The board failed to reach a quorum, preventing members from approving minutes, voting on agenda items or making formal recommendations to the City Commission. It was the second failed quorum in 2026. With more than half the year gone, the board has held only two official meetings, limiting its ability to weigh in on the transit decisions accelerating around it.

A pilot route's ridership climbs, slowly

The regional push builds on the Southern Loop trolley route, which launched Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, as a one-year pilot connecting the Douglas Road Metrorail Station to Red Road along Ponce de Leon Boulevard. City officials told the board the route was nearing 2,000 riders per month as of May 2026, up from 954 in its first month. That growth is steady but still far below the city's flagship Ponce route, which carries roughly one million riders a year, according to city data presented at earlier board meetings.

The Southern Loop's funding picture remains unresolved. A $196,000 state grant covered part of the route's roughly $400,000 annual operating cost in year one. That grant was set to expire by mid-2026, and the city has not publicly announced whether it approved continued local funding. At the board's March 17 meeting, Matt Anderson, the city's assistant director of mobility and sustainability, said the decision would fall to the city.

Coral Gables receives approximately $3.1 million annually from Miami-Dade County's half-penny transportation sales tax, but the city's total mobility budget has grown to about $5 million with expanded services, requiring subsidies from parking revenues.

A 70% rule could limit the South Miami expansion

Chair Roland Rodriguez told the board the city had approved a new interlocal agreement with Miami-Dade County for circulator services. The agreement, which originated in 2010, defines a "circulator" as a route where at least 70% operates within the municipality and is run by the municipality. That definition matters: any trolley extension into South Miami would need to fit within those terms or require a separate arrangement.

Rodriguez also noted the city received a $60,000 grant for its Pedestrian Master Plan, though staff said they were still executing the agreement to receive the funding. The City Commission postponed action on a proposed scramble crossing at Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Miracle Mile after commissioners requested additional review.

A board report is due in October

Rodriguez said he would begin drafting the board's annual report to the City Commission, due Thursday, Oct. 1. He acknowledged last year's report was largely generic and said he would bring a draft to an upcoming meeting for review.