Inter Miami Fans Embrace City’s All-But-Forgotten Tri-Rail

South Florida is discovering the wonders of public transportation — and all it took was officials plonking Inter Miami’s new stadium near the airport. And offering $10 concession coupons. It remains to be seen, however, if state and local officials will learn what scores of other major cities have about public transportation, and pour funding into the railway.

South Florida soccer fans made history Saturday not only by being part of Inter Miami’s home stadium opening. They also were part of one of Tri-Rail’s busiest days on record, according to the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). The record comes nearly a year after Tri-Rail officials said they’re likely to run out of money in two years thanks to funding cuts from the state legislature last June, according to reporting by TrainsPro.

Inter Miami CF over the weekend christened Nu Stadium in west Miami, across the highway from Miami International Airport. The match against Austin FC drew a sold-out crowd, with more than 1,000 people opting to take Tri-Rail to the stadium — helping mark the rail system’s eighth busiest Saturday ever.

“More than 1,000 fans boarded two special Tri-Rail trains that departed from the Miami Airport Station after the game’s conclusion,” according to a news release from the RTA. “The system had over 9,000 rides on the day, making it the 8th busiest Saturday in Tri-Rail’s history.”

Noting they had no precedent to estimate demand (given it was the opening of Nu Stadium), RTA initially deployed a four-car train set for the post-game service. The station is a mere 10-minute walk from the stadium, so within 20 minutes of the final whistle the special train reached its 533-passenger capacity and departed at about 10:30 p.m., according to RTA. A second train departed 30 minutes later with 520 passengers.

“We were ecstatic to see such a strong turnout of fans choosing Tri-Rail for transportation to and from the inaugural game this past weekend,” Diane Hernandez Del Calvo, SFRTA Interim executive director said in a news release. “As this was our first time providing this service, we didn’t know how many riders to expect but we were well prepared and very pleased to provide them with a smooth and reliable experience.”

Fans likely were attracted to Tri-Rail for its low cost when compared to the $45-plus parking passes sold for spots in the single parking garage open for Nu Stadium’s opening. A weekend Trip-Rail pass is only $5. Inter Miami also offered fans who took public transportation a $10 concession voucher, which may have seemed like a boon for those who last attended a professional sporting event in the ’90s. Like most other professional sports venues, concession prices at Nu Stadium were at a premium. The $10 voucher could have scored you only one item, whether it be a $7.50 can of water (yes can, not bottle) or popcorn (priced at $10). A single domestic can of beer was about $19 and a souvenir soft drink was about $14.

Tri-Rail riders who spoke to Axios over the weekend said they preferred the railway to avoid the stress of navigating Miami’s notorious traffic, especially near the airport. It turned out to be a wise decision, considering motorists had to navigate a chaotic sea of pedestrians and traffic cones in the billion-dollar construction site that will eventually be Miami Freedom Park.