It's Bus Shelters or Wi-Fi in Miami, But Not Both

"A cutting-edge network of interactive digital kiosks for Miami-Dade’s transit system may cost passengers an old-fashioned perk: shelter from the rain and the sun," reports Douglas Hanks.

The unfortunate either/or scenario is the result of an ongoing dispute with Outfront Media, the outdoor media company that builds county bus shelters in exchange for ad space. Outfront media "recently warned it may have to abandon the venture if a rival company installs as many as 300 Wi-Fi-enabled kiosks at bus stops across the county."

Another company, called Civiq, already won a deal to install Wi-Fi kiosks back in January. More details on that deal are available in article from January 2017 by Josh Baumgard.

Hanks also notes that Civiq is already in hot water with Miami-Dade after missing milestones in the agreement: "It has yet to turn in requested locations for 150 kiosks, or installed Wi-Fi equipment in 10 county buses, as required under its deal." The article also includes in-depth discussion, with multiple sources, about the relative importance of Wi-Fi and bus shelters to the transit user experience.