Metromover
Encyclopedia
The Miami Metromover, officially Metromover, is a free rapid transit
automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit
in Miami, Florida
, United States
. Metromover serves Downtown Miami
, Brickell
, Park West
and Omni neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail
at Government Center and Brickell stations. It originally began service to the Downtown/Inner Loop on April 17, 1986, and was later expanded with the Omni and Brickell Loop extensions on May 26, 1994.
The Metromover serves primarily as a fast and easy way to travel within the greater Downtown Miami
neighborhoods. The system is composed of three loops and 21 stations. The stations are located approximately two blocks away from each other, and connect near all major buildings and places in Downtown. Today, the Metromover serves as a vital part of Downtown life, and with the rapid population growth in Downtown, has grown quickly in usage and popularity. It has nearly doubled in ridership in the last decade, growing from 14,952 passengers per day in 1999 to 30,700 in 2011.
and Metrobus ridership and a decrease in employment. However, from January 2010 to January 2011, Metrorail saw a 7% increase in ridership, and both Metrorail and Metromover are expected to see additional ridership increases throughout 2011 due to rising fuel prices. In May 2011, it was announced that a possible study was proposed to analyze the idea of extending the Metromover to the Port of Miami
. This, with Metrorail and the new MIA Mover
would create a direct rail transit link from the airport to the seaport. However, the study, which would take at least a year and cost about $120,000, was only a proposal to be voted on and the idea hasn't been reported on since.
Metromover stations located throughout Downtown Miami
and Brickell
roughly every two blocks. The Metromover links all of Downtown and Brickell's major office buildings, residential buildings, hotels, and retail centers. Major attractions such as the Stephen P. Clark Government Center
, American Airlines Arena, Arsht Performing Arts Center
, the Cultural Plaza (Miami Art Museum
, Historical Museum of Southern Florida
, Miami Main Library
), Bayside Marketplace
, Mary Brickell Village
, Miami-Dade College and the Brickell Financial District can all be reached by the Metromover.
Running clockwise, the Downtown (Inner) Loop serves all Downtown stations except Third Street station. The Outer Loop (Brickell and Omni Loops) runs counterclockwise and share tracks around the downtown area, serving all stations except for Miami Avenue Station. The Brickell loop runs a line into the Brickell area to the south of downtown, while the Omni Loop contains a line with stations in the Omni neighborhood north of Downtown. This unusual pattern, a circular central loop where the trains running counterclockwise are those running from and back to destinations outside the loop, whereas trains in the opposite clockwise direction are only running a tight inner circular route, is also followed by the New York JFK Airport AirTrain system.
The Metromover car maintenance base is unusually right downtown, at SW 1st Ave and SW 1st St, which lies between Government Center and 3rd St stations on the outer counterclockwise loop, at the point where the two loops split to run in adjacent parallel streets.
All loops run from 5 a.m. to just after midnight, seven days a week. This schedule is adjusted during events. Trains arrive every 90 seconds during rush hours and every three minutes otherwise.
Miami megaproject in Miami's Omni neighborhood, announced in mid-2011, a Metromover expansion from Downtown Miami
to South Beach
is being pushed. The line could potentially run from the Omni across the Venetian Causeway
to 17th Street in South Beach ending at the Miami Beach Convention Center
. The line could have three stations in South Beach along 17th Street- Alton Road, Meridian Avenue and Washington Avenue. This would would connect Miami Beach to rail mass transit for the first time, and provide a direct rail connection into one of Miami's most visited neighborhoods. The line would also allow for future expansions later across South Beach.
vehicles, built by Adtranz predecessor AEG-Westinghouse in 1992, and 12 Bombardier Innovia APM 100 vehicles that were delivered during the summer and fall of 2008. These newer vehicles replaced the first 12 C-100 cars which were built by Westinghouse Electric in 1984, and include a more aerodynamic design, as well as an onboard CCTV system.
Deliveries of an additional 17 cars from Bombardier Transportation began in July 2010.
area.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
automated people mover train system operated by Miami-Dade Transit
Miami-Dade Transit
Miami-Dade Transit is the primary public transit authority of Miami, Florida, United States and the greater Miami-Dade County area. It is the largest transit system in Florida and the 12th-largest transit system in the United States....
in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Metromover serves Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
, Brickell
Brickell
Brickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
, Park West
Park West (Miami)
Park West is a neighborhood of greater Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States. It is roughly bound by Biscayne Boulevard to the east, West First Avenue to the west, North 10th Street to the south and Interstate 395 to the north. As of 2010, about 4,655 residents live in Park West...
and Omni neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail
Metrorail (Miami)
The Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
at Government Center and Brickell stations. It originally began service to the Downtown/Inner Loop on April 17, 1986, and was later expanded with the Omni and Brickell Loop extensions on May 26, 1994.
The Metromover serves primarily as a fast and easy way to travel within the greater Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
neighborhoods. The system is composed of three loops and 21 stations. The stations are located approximately two blocks away from each other, and connect near all major buildings and places in Downtown. Today, the Metromover serves as a vital part of Downtown life, and with the rapid population growth in Downtown, has grown quickly in usage and popularity. It has nearly doubled in ridership in the last decade, growing from 14,952 passengers per day in 1999 to 30,700 in 2011.
History
In 1987, the then just one year old people mover system set a record in daily ridership of 33,053 on a Saturday attributed to the new Bayside Marketplace. That same year was when the planning began to extend the system to Brickell and Omni, which would not be completed until 1994. Until November 2002 when the half-penny transit tax was approved, the Metromover used to have a fare of 25 cents. The fare was lifted because it was realized that the cost of collecting the fare nearly exceeded the revenue generated from the fare, as well as the fact that more Metromover ridership led to more Metrorail ridership. After becoming free, from 2002 to 2005, along with a large increase in population and rising gas prices, Metromover ridership doubled from 4.7 million in 2002 to about 9 million in 2005. In early 2011, Metromover has seen an increase in ridership at the same time as there has been a decrease in MetrorailMetrorail (Miami)
The Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
and Metrobus ridership and a decrease in employment. However, from January 2010 to January 2011, Metrorail saw a 7% increase in ridership, and both Metrorail and Metromover are expected to see additional ridership increases throughout 2011 due to rising fuel prices. In May 2011, it was announced that a possible study was proposed to analyze the idea of extending the Metromover to the Port of Miami
Port of Miami
The Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami is a seaport located in Biscayne Bay in Miami, Florida, United States. It is connected to Downtown Miami by Port Boulevard, a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. The port is located on Dodge Island, which is the combination of three historic islands that have...
. This, with Metrorail and the new MIA Mover
MIA Mover
The MIA Mover is an automated people mover system which opened at the Miami International Airport in metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States on September 09th, 2011...
would create a direct rail transit link from the airport to the seaport. However, the study, which would take at least a year and cost about $120,000, was only a proposal to be voted on and the idea hasn't been reported on since.
Operations
There are 21 accessibleAccessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
Metromover stations located throughout Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
and Brickell
Brickell
Brickell is an urban neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. A neighborhood of greater Downtown Miami, Brickell is Miami and South Florida's major financial district.-Background:...
roughly every two blocks. The Metromover links all of Downtown and Brickell's major office buildings, residential buildings, hotels, and retail centers. Major attractions such as the Stephen P. Clark Government Center
Stephen P. Clark Government Center
The Stephen P. Clark Government Center, known also as Government Center, Miami-Dade Center, or County Hall, is a skyscraper in the Government Center district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States. It is the headquarters building of the Miami-Dade County government. Many county offices are...
, American Airlines Arena, Arsht Performing Arts Center
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, commonly called The Arsht Center, is Florida's largest performing arts center and is located on Biscayne Boulevard in the Omni neighborhood of Downtown, Miami, Florida, United States...
, the Cultural Plaza (Miami Art Museum
Miami Art Museum
The Miami Art Museum is an art museum located in Downtown Miami, Florida, in the United States. It was founded in 1984 as the Center for the Fine Arts, and in 1996 became the Miami Art Museum...
, Historical Museum of Southern Florida
Historical Museum of Southern Florida
HistoryMiami formerly known as the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, is a museum located in Miami, Florida, USA, specializing in the history of southeastern Florida, including Greater Miami, the Floria Keys, and the Everglades...
, Miami Main Library
Miami-Dade Public Library
The Miami-Dade Public Library System is a system of libraries in Miami, Florida and Miami-Dade County in the United States.-Early years:...
), Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace is a festival marketplace in Downtown Miami, Florida. It's in between Bayfront Park to the south end, and the American Airlines Arena to the north. As Bayside's name suggests, it wraps along the banks of the Biscayne Bay....
, Mary Brickell Village
Mary Brickell Village
The Shops at Mary Brickell Village is a lifestyle center located in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida. It has become a very popular downtown destination, bringing new stores and eateries to the area...
, Miami-Dade College and the Brickell Financial District can all be reached by the Metromover.
Running clockwise, the Downtown (Inner) Loop serves all Downtown stations except Third Street station. The Outer Loop (Brickell and Omni Loops) runs counterclockwise and share tracks around the downtown area, serving all stations except for Miami Avenue Station. The Brickell loop runs a line into the Brickell area to the south of downtown, while the Omni Loop contains a line with stations in the Omni neighborhood north of Downtown. This unusual pattern, a circular central loop where the trains running counterclockwise are those running from and back to destinations outside the loop, whereas trains in the opposite clockwise direction are only running a tight inner circular route, is also followed by the New York JFK Airport AirTrain system.
The Metromover car maintenance base is unusually right downtown, at SW 1st Ave and SW 1st St, which lies between Government Center and 3rd St stations on the outer counterclockwise loop, at the point where the two loops split to run in adjacent parallel streets.
All loops run from 5 a.m. to just after midnight, seven days a week. This schedule is adjusted during events. Trains arrive every 90 seconds during rush hours and every three minutes otherwise.
Expansions
As part of the new, proposed Resorts WorldResorts World
Resorts World is a leisure brand owned by the Genting Group. It may refer to:* Resorts World Manila, sub-company of Star Cruises and AGI that manage the integrated casino resort at Newport City, Pasay, Philippines...
Miami megaproject in Miami's Omni neighborhood, announced in mid-2011, a Metromover expansion from Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
to South Beach
South Beach
South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, United States. It is the area south of Indian Creek and encompasses roughly the southernmost 23 blocks of the main barrier island that separates the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay.This area was the first...
is being pushed. The line could potentially run from the Omni across the Venetian Causeway
Venetian Causeway
The Venetian Causeway crosses Biscayne Bay between Miami on the mainland and Miami Beach on a barrier island in south Florida. The man-made Venetian Islands and non-bridge portions of the causeway were created by materials which came from the dredging of the bay. The Venetian Causeway follows the...
to 17th Street in South Beach ending at the Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach Convention Center
Miami Beach Convention Center is an indoor arena in Miami Beach, Florida and it is currently the largest convention center in the Miami area. It now features 4 large rooms each holding about 12,000 people.- History :...
. The line could have three stations in South Beach along 17th Street- Alton Road, Meridian Avenue and Washington Avenue. This would would connect Miami Beach to rail mass transit for the first time, and provide a direct rail connection into one of Miami's most visited neighborhoods. The line would also allow for future expansions later across South Beach.
Ridership
Monthly ridership averages| Date | Passengers Metromover only | Passengers with Metrorail |
|---|---|---|
| February 1999 | 14,952 | 63,769 |
| February 2000 | 14,185 | 63,711 |
| February 2001 | 15,599 | 64,561 |
| February 2002 | 16,688 | 66,232 |
| February 2004 | 26,100 | 79,600 |
| February 2005 | 28,400 | 90,600 |
| February 2006 | 31,200 | 91,900 |
| February 2007 | 27,700 | 89,200 |
| February 2008 | 26,500 | 88,300 |
| February 2009 | 25,700 | 87,100 |
| February 2010 | 25,600 | 87,100 |
| February 2011 | 30,700 | 96,000 |
Fleet
Metromover currently uses a fleet of 17 Adtranz C-100Adtranz C-100
The C-100 is an automated people mover rolling stock first developed by Westinghouse Transportation Systems . It is the predecessor of the Bombardier CX-100, which is found at many airports today...
vehicles, built by Adtranz predecessor AEG-Westinghouse in 1992, and 12 Bombardier Innovia APM 100 vehicles that were delivered during the summer and fall of 2008. These newer vehicles replaced the first 12 C-100 cars which were built by Westinghouse Electric in 1984, and include a more aerodynamic design, as well as an onboard CCTV system.
Deliveries of an additional 17 cars from Bombardier Transportation began in July 2010.
Stations and Map
The Metromover currently operates 21 stations, and combined with the Metrorail, the entire Metro system operates 44 stations. Metrorail stations are located at about a mile apart along the line, and Metromover stations are located at approximately every two blocks in the greater Downtown MiamiDowntown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
area.
Downtown (Inner) Loop
- Government Center
- Arena/State Plaza
- College North
- College/Bayside
- First Street
- Bayfront Park
- Knight Center Originally named World Trade Center.
- Miami Avenue Serves Downtown Loop only; all other Inner Loop stations serve all three Metromover loops.
Omni Loop
- School Board
- Adrienne Arsht Center Originally named Omni.
- Bicentennial Park Closed October 28, 1996.
- Eleventh Street
- Park West
- Freedom Tower
- College North
- Arena/State Plaza
- Government Center
- Third Street Originally named Fort Dallas Park; serves both Omni and Brickell Loops.
- Knight Center Originally named World Trade Center.
- Bayfront Park
- First Street
- College/Bayside
Brickell Loop
- Knight Center Originally named World Trade Center.
- Bayfront Park
- First Street
- College/Bayside
- College North
- Arena/State Plaza
- Government Center
- Third Street Originally named Fort Dallas Park; serves both Omni and Brickell Loops.
- Riverwalk
- Fifth Street
- Eighth Street
- Tenth Street/Promenade
- Brickell
- Financial District
See also
- Transportation in Miami
- Metrorail (Miami)Metrorail (Miami)The Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
- Miami-Dade TransitMiami-Dade TransitMiami-Dade Transit is the primary public transit authority of Miami, Florida, United States and the greater Miami-Dade County area. It is the largest transit system in Florida and the 12th-largest transit system in the United States....
- Tri-RailTri-RailTri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
External links
- http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/home.asp Miami-Dade Transit
- http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/mover.asp Metromover Homepage