What is RideKel? See the new free ridesharing service helping residents across North Miami Beach
A new free ridesharing program is now live in North Miami Beach. In just its first two months, it has already logged more than 300 rides, helping residents and non-residents alike get where they need to go.
The program, called RideKel, is the first of its kind in Miami-Dade County. It offers free, app-based rides that connect users directly to city and county transit options.
You don't have to live in North Miami Beach to use it.
With just one app, riders can get to the grocery store, a doctor's appointment, school or connect to major transit hubs like Golden Glades, where Tri-Rail provides access to Broward and Palm Beach counties as well as downtown Miami.
Customer praises new program
For two months, Jahson Valme, a junior at North Miami Beach High School, has relied on RideKel every weekday.
"I use this every day. Monday to Friday, from 2:20 to 6. I really use this every day," Valme said.
Before RideKel, Valme said his only option was a 30 to 40-minute walk to school, often through busy intersections where accidents are common. Now, his commute takes just eight minutes.
"The buses don't always come early," Valme said, explaining why walking was his only backup.
Why RideKel?
RideKel is operated by Prokel Mobility and acts as a connector to existing transit options rather than a traditional rideshare service. North Miami Beach is the first local city to launch the program, which currently uses two all-electric vehicles.
"It goes out to Golden Glades, where you can catch Tri-Rail, travel into Broward or Palm Beach, or head into downtown Miami," said Kelly Gonzalez, CEO of Prokel Mobility.
The program is funded by Miami-Dade County's Citizens' Independent Transportation Trust and aims to ease what city leaders call an affordability crisis.
"With insurance costs up, vehicle costs up, and the cost of parts rising, people don't have much disposable income," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said overall transit use across North Miami Beach is up, with monthly trips increasing from about 3,800 to 10,000.
Gonzalez said this is only the beginning. Prokel Mobility plans to add three buses to its North Miami Beach fleet and expand the program to other South Florida cities, including Coral Springs.