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A New Yorker's Commute on South Florida Public Transit

Bob B. Brown (Flickr)

South Florida is clearly a car-centered part of the country, but there are a lot of people here who rely on public transportation. This summer, WLRN intern Luc Cohen was one of them.  

Cohen, who is majoring in public and international affairs at Princeton University, was born and raised in New York City. So for him, public transportation is practically second nature.

Credit Luc Cohen
Luc riding on the subway in New York City.

Before coming to Miami for his internship, Cohen had driven a total of six blocks by himself in his life.

And he decided it probably wasn't the best idea to try his luck on Florida roads. Several regions throughout the state have been ranked among the most dangerous in the country (some actually blame expats from New York City as contributing to the problem).

Cohen spoke to WLRN-Miami Herald News anchor Arianna Prothero about how he managed to cut his teeth as a reporter across South Florida without driving.

He reported stories from Florida City and Lauderhill, but a trek to Palm Beach County turned out to be his longest trip.

“One time when I was going to Boynton Beach, I missed a couple of TriRails by one minute and ended up having about a six-hour travel time for a 20-minute interview.”

Cohen's commute from Coral Gables to the Miami Herald in Downtown Miami took about an hour and 15 minutes by train. 

He also tried commuting by bicycle.

“And it actually took a fair amount quicker,” said Cohen. “It only took me about 50-55 minutes.”

Cohen said it wasn't so hard for him to manage using solely public transit because he's young man, living with a roommate, eating pasta for dinner.

“But you lose sleep, you have to wake up early, you get home pretty late," Cohen said. "So, for someone who has a family and has to cook them dinner, look after their kids, it’s definitely harder.”

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