Route A
Omni Terminal to Lincoln Road via Venetian Causeway
Vital Stats:
Division- Coral Way (Ex- Central?)
Service- roughly 6 AM to 9 PM
Headway- about 20 minutes
Destination signs:
Eastbound - A LINCOLN ROAD
A LINCOLD RD (From the big bus days.)
Westbound- A OMNI
A VENETIAN DR (Won't be used...see below for reason.)
Equipment- has used paratransit vehicles- usually high-top vans - since at least 1996.
Became wheelchair accessible with the switch from Metrobus to Paratransit.
THE ROUTE ITSELF-
The A is another minibus route that used to be run by the big bus. The route is simple- It begins at the corner of Lincoln and James on the Beach. It loops around there until it's heading westbound on 17TH Street (Hank Meyer Blvd.). It heads down 17 th toAlton Road, where it turns right, and at the next light makes a left onto Dade Blvd. It heads west on Dade, which turns into the Venetian Causeway. It crosses the Causeway and coasts right into the Omni Mall bus terminal. It parks on NE 15th Street with the 36 and 48 buses. To return eastbound, The bus loops around the mall and the Wyndham Hotel (Formely the Omni Hotel.) and turns left, going back onto the Causeway.
For many years the bus used to end at the Overtown/Arena Metrorail Station. But in May 1994, with the opening of the new Omni Bus Terminal, the bus was rerouted there. Then in the summer of 1997 the western end of the historic Causeway was closed for a total rebuild. During the 2 year project the bus only went as far west as the tollbooth at Venetian Drive, then it would make a u-turn. The mini-buses didn't have a sign for Venetian Drive (This wasn't a problem for the vans, which don't have signs- they only have a piece of paper with an 'A' on it taped to the windshield.) , so the new Blue Birds were ordered with a Venetian Drive sign. But they arrived in October 1999, the same month the Venetian reopened and full service was restored. So that sign won't be used.
This is a nice route. There are lots of big houses on the Venetian Isles. The causeway cuts through these exclusive areas, and the Causeway is pretty quiet.