Here's what it was like to ride the Tri-Rail from Fort Lauderdale to Miami

• This was a complementary media ride, but the full fare would have been $7.50 for a roughly 50-minute ride.
• The double-decker trains were spacious, with a mixture of airline-style seating and table seats. It was a little bumpy at times, but that's the price you pay to skip I-95 traffic.

Why it matters: For a Hollywoodian like myself, hopping on the train by the Yellow Green Market to catch a Heat game downtown sounds lovely.

Yes, but: The one-seat ride promised by Tri-Rail for years isn't here yet, and there isn't a timetable for its implementation.

• For now, Tri-Rail riders will have to make a transfer at the Metrorail Transfer Station in Hialeah.

My takeaway: Tri-Rail's entrance into downtown gives riders more options and is a big first step toward further transit connectivity across South Florida, including possibly along U.S. 1.