Florida's 3 Cities With The Best Public Transportation, According To The Internet

Florida has a reputation for plenty of things: spring breakers, retirees, alligators, hurricanes, year-round sunshine — the list might go on. One thing that it doesn't, though, is public transportation. Floridians use public transportation at a rate well below the national average, positioning the state as far more car-centric than most. But that's not for lack of trying: Florida is home to some of the nation's most developed public transportation infrastructure.

With an intercity railway system operating some of the nation's fastest trains and dozens more transit agencies operating throughout the state, Florida has an unexpectedly impressive breadth of transportation options. Urban sprawl may make driving the norm in much of Florida, but it isn't the whole story. With the help of an exciting new app that makes public transportation easier than ever to use, you might find that with some creativity and willingness to wait, a car-free itinerary in the Sunshine State is totally doable. 

You'll want to be strategic about your destination if you're looking to use transit, though. And to determine the best places to be a transit rider in Florida, we've drawn on statistics as well as online tips from users on sites like Reddit and Tripadvisor, and these three cities come out on top. So if you're looking into a Florida move or a car-free vacation, look to these three Florida cities for the best public transportation in the state.

Representing 27% of the state's public transit use according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (via HomeArea), the Miami metropolitan area is far and away your best bet if you're looking for a Floridian city with great public transportation. Its variety of intercity transit services and more local options provide a far-reaching transit system catering to a range of mobility needs. It's no surprise that Tripadvisor users consistently rate Miami-based transit systems highest in Florida; the Metromover rail network is rated highest of all, with Reddit users calling it a "great system" that does the trick for trips in the downtown area, even if it's somewhat limited in scope. 

That's hardly the only Miami transit system you'll have at your disposal, though. The Metrorail elevated railway system connects downtown Miami to many outlying neighborhoods, and within the downtown core, you can easily access some of the city's most popular destinations using the Metromover rail network, as mentioned above. The Metrobus serves much wider areas of Miami-Dade County for those needing more extensive coverage, and several towns within the Greater Miami region also operate their own streetcar or trolley systems for more local trips. If it's intercity transit you need, the Tri-Rail commuter train links Miami to neighboring Palm Beach and Broward counties, while Brightline trains will take you as far as Orlando.

With such a robust network of transit options at your disposal, it's pretty easy to find a way to your Greater Miami destination. It's far and away the most transit-dense Florida city and the best place to be if you want to visit Florida without renting a car or move to a city where you can easily make public transportation a part of your daily routine.

For a city of less than 200,000, Fort Lauderdale punches well above its weight in public transportation offerings. Close enough to Miami to share its Tri-Rail and Brightline rail links but distinct enough to offer in-city services of its own, it's a great place to be for transit-based commuters and anyone looking for a place to set down car-free roots in Florida without the chaos and bustle of Miami.

The city's services range from the tourist-oriented, like its water taxi boat service, described as an "amazing way to experience Fort Lauderdale" on Tripadvisor,  to the everyday, like its community shuttle transit connections and expansive Broward County Transit bus system. It's also a stop on the Amtrak Floridian trains running between Chicago and Miami, and connected to some of Florida's largest cities via Brightline railway. Tripadvisor users highlighted the Tri-Rail system for its efficient and comfortable connections between Miami and Fort Lauderdale's airports. All of this means that getting to and from Fort Lauderdale's best beach hotels is easier than you might think. 

With excellent in-city transit as well as extensive regional connections, Fort Lauderdale makes a good South Florida base if transit access is a must. Especially advantageous are the strong links between Fort Lauderdale's local transit agencies and those of neighboring cities, making it a particularly solid choice if you're hoping to commute outside of the city.

No, we're not talking about the Disney World monorail here: setting aside its plethora of theme parks, Orlando is a well-positioned regional transit hub with plenty of workaday public transit options for tourists and residents alike. Those looking for solid transit in Central Florida will be likeliest to find it here, where users in the r/Orlando subreddit say the LYNX Bus is a strong option on certain routes and SunRail gets the job done for intercity travel. 

As a regional hub, much of Orlando's transit is focused on outlying areas. The SunRail commuter rail system links downtown Orlando to smaller cities in the area, Brightline reaches its northern terminus in Orlando, and Amtrak links Orlando to lines bound for Chicago and New York. In-city transit is also available, though, namely the downtown-based LYMMO bus rapid transit (BRT) service and the LYNX bus system, which provides both regional and Orlando-specific routes.

Though it can't compete with the transit-dense hubs of South Florida, Orlando ranks first according to HomeArea in Florida public transit use outside of the Greater Miami area and offers residents and travelers practical ways to reach a variety of Central Florida destinations. It's the reason Orlando is the best hub from which to visit charming Central Florida spots like the suburb of Winter Park. So if South Florida isn't your thing, Orlando is your best option for transit.

Data drove our preliminary selections for the best public transportation cities in Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on public transportation use, which was our starting point when it came to determining which cities in Florida were the best for transit riders. But because the vast majority of the top cities were technically within Greater Miami and shared most of their transit services, we had to get a bit more creative — and move further down the list — to bring you a more satisfying selection.

That included scoping out local takes across the internet. Boots-on-the-ground transit users have actually experienced these transit systems and know which ones are always late, which look more promising on paper than they are in practice, and where you definitely shouldn't count on the bus. These testimonials on sites like Reddit and Tripadvisor gave us a lot more to work with, where data wasn't sufficient, and ultimately drove our selection of the cities we chose. 

Although Florida still doesn't have the reputation for public transit excellence that it does for senior communities and crazy headlines, let this be your proof that there is indeed solid transit to be had if you know where to look for it. Stick to densely populated urban areas that have invested in transit, and it might just surprise you how easily you can get around these Florida cities without a car.