Coree Cuff Lonergan, CEO and General Manager, Broward County Transit

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Coree Cuff Lonergan, CEO and General Manager of Broward County Transit, about changing travel patterns, the role of microtransit in expanding access, and how long-term mobility investment can strengthen Broward County’s economy. “When people can travel faster and more efficiently, that creates economic value,” Cuff Lonergan said.

How has public transit demand in Broward County changed over the past year, and what does that say about how people are living, working, and moving around the region?

Public transportation demand has not changed dramatically over the past year, but we have made service adjustments to improve reliability and better reflect how people are traveling today. We added new Sunday service to Route 48, which has been exciting, and we have also made operational changes to strengthen consistency for our passengers.

What we are seeing is more of a redistribution of ridership than a major overall shift. Some routes have seen modest declines, while others have experienced increases. It has been a balancing act, and it reflects the reality that travel patterns are evolving. People are not necessarily moving in the same ways or at the same times they used to.

Cost pressures are also influencing those decisions. As gas prices rise, transit tends to become more attractive, and we expect to see that reflected in ridership. Broward County Transit remains an economical option for the community. Our base fare is $2, and we also offer weekly passes, monthly passes, student passes, and other fare products that can bring the cost down even further. For residents looking for a dependable and affordable way to move around the county, transit can be a very practical solution.

From an industry perspective, what are the most important mobility trends you are watching, and how is Broward County Transit adapting to stay relevant?

One of the biggest trends we are seeing nationally is a change in travel patterns following COVID. Traditionally, transit agencies operated around clear peak and off-peak movements. There would be a heavy surge in the morning commute, a lull during the day, and then another surge in the late afternoon and evening as people returned home from work.

What we have seen since then is a broad shift in that structure. More people are working remotely or using hybrid schedules, and employers have become more flexible. That has changed the shape of demand. In many places, including here, we are seeing more midday movement and more weekend activity. The morning and evening peaks are not as pronounced as they once were.

For Broward County Transit, that means we have to be more responsive and more strategic about where and when service is provided. It is no longer enough to think only in terms of traditional commuter patterns. We have to evaluate how people are living today and align our service with that reality.

How is Broward County Transit approaching the evolution of a multimodal ecosystem that includes rail, regional connections, and shared mobility options?

We recently launched our TransitFORWARD 2040 Vision Plan, which is our latest effort to evaluate travel behavior and prepare the system for the future. Broward County is growing, both in terms of residents and commercially. New businesses are locating here, more people are moving into the county, and that growth is changing origin-and-destination patterns.

As part of that analysis, we identified a number of transit deserts across Broward County, areas where transit access is limited or unavailable. That created an opportunity to think differently about service delivery. In some locations, using a traditional bus is not the most efficient answer. The roads may not be suited for larger vehicles, or the demand may not justify a fixed-route approach.

That is where microtransit becomes important. We see it as a first-mile, last-mile solution that can help connect residents in underserved areas to the broader fixed-route system. It gives us an on-demand option that can be more flexible and more efficient, while still feeding into the countywide network. We are also exploring ways to geofence certain zones so that microtransit can operate in a targeted way where it is needed most.

At the end of the day, the goal is to make the community more mobile and give people practical options to get where they need to go, whether that is work, school, healthcare, or daily errands.

What partnerships are helping Broward County Transit expand its reach and improve regional connectivity?

One of the most important recent collaborations has been the launch of a regional app that brings together multiple South Florida transit providers on one platform. For the first time, Miami-Dade Transit, Palm Tran, Broward County Transit, and Tri-Rail are integrated in a single app called SoFloGo.

That is a major step forward for the region. It allows riders to plan trips across agencies and modes more easily, and it also gives them the ability to pay fares through the same platform. From the customer perspective, that is a much more seamless experience.

My goal, really, is to move people the best way they need to move, and to get them where they need to go as quickly as possible. If that means partnering closely with Palm Tran, Tri-Rail, or Miami-Dade Transit, then that is exactly what we should do. The customer benefits when agencies work together, and that has to be the priority.

Looking ahead, how do you see public transit shaping economic growth in Broward County and across South Florida over the next decade?

There are two sides to that answer. The first is the long-term investment we are making through our premium mobility plan, known as PREMO. That program represents more than a $5 billion investment in public transportation in Broward County. It is designed to expand our system into a more multimodal network by adding commuter rail, light rail, bus rapid transit, and high-frequency bus service.

That kind of investment changes what transit can do for a region. It improves connectivity, increases travel efficiency, and gives people more reliable options for moving throughout the county. For Broward, becoming truly multimodal is a significant step forward.

The second part of the economic story is how that system gets built and what it supports once it is in place. According to the American Public Transportation Association, every $1 billion invested in transit infrastructure can support more than 40,000 jobs over the life of a project, from planning and construction through maintenance and operations. Those are strong jobs that can benefit Broward County residents and the wider South Florida workforce.

Then there is the long-term impact on mobility itself. When people can travel faster and more efficiently, that creates economic value. It helps workers access jobs, helps employers draw from a broader labor pool, and supports spending across the region. Transit contributes not only to movement, but to the overall performance of a regional economy.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

A big part of this story is our workforce. None of what we do happens without a dedicated team that is deeply committed to serving the community. Our bus operators, mechanics, customer service staff, and administrative professionals all play an important role in keeping the system running and supporting the people who rely on it.

What stands out about this team is not just their professionalism, but also their connection to the community. Our employees often find themselves helping people well beyond transportation itself. There have been times when someone needed assistance and turned to one of our operators. We have had situations involving lost children and seniors where our staff were able to step in and help. That human side of the work matters tremendously.

I am proud to lead this organization, and I think our team deserves a great deal of credit for the role they play in making life better for the community every day.