Metromover Explained

Metromover
Transit Type:Automated people mover
Began Operation:April 17, 1986 (Inner Loop)
May 26, 1994 (Outer Loops)
Lines:3
Annual Ridership:
Daily Ridership:
El:Third rail
Stations:21
Operator:Miami-Dade Transit (MDT)
Average Speed:90NaN0
Top Speed:310NaN0

Metromover is a free to ride automated people mover system operated by Miami-Dade Transit in Miami, Florida, United States. Metromover serves the Downtown Miami, Brickell, Park West and Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods. Metromover connects directly with Metrorail at Government Center and Brickell stations. It also connects to Metrobus with dedicated bus loops at Government Center and Adrienne Arsht Center station. 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 an alternative 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 the Downtown area. As of, the system has rides per year, or about per day in .

Out of only three downtown people movers in the United States, the other two being the Jacksonville Skyway and the Detroit People Mover, the Metromover is by far the most successful in terms of ridership, the only completed system of the three,[1] and considered to be a catalyst for downtown development.[2]

History

In 1987, the then-one-year-old people mover system set a record in daily ridership of 33,053 on a Saturday, attributed to the new Bayside Marketplace.[3] That same year was when the planning began to extend the system to Brickell and Arts & Entertainment District (then Omni),[4] which would not be completed until 1994. Until November 2002 when the half-penny transit tax was approved, the Metromover had 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 the eliminated fare would likely lead to more Metrorail ridership.[5] After becoming free, from 2002 to 2005, along with a large increase in population, rising gas prices and booming downtown development, Metromover ridership nearly doubled from 4.7 million in 2002 to about 9 million in 2005.[6] However, ridership fell with the subsequent economic downturn and high unemployment in the latter half of the decade. By 2012, ridership had once again increased with downtown population, high gas prices and a recovering economy. In early 2011, Metromover saw an increase in ridership during a sharp peak in gas prices, at the same time as there was a decrease in Metrorail and Metrobus ridership as well as a decrease in employment.[7] However, from January 2010 to January 2011, Metrorail saw a 7% increase in ridership, and both Metrorail and Metromover were expected to see additional ridership increases throughout 2011 due to rising fuel prices.[8] When the Omni and Brickell extensions were first planned, it was estimated that ridership on the fared system would reach 43,000 daily by 2000,[2] a number the now free system has yet to reach.

Operations

There are 21 accessible 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, Museum Park (which services Perez Art Museum Miami as well as the Frost Science Museum) 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 Arts & Entertainment District 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 inner loop generally runs tandem two car trains while the outer loops only run with single cars. Each car can carry over 90 passengers.

The Metromover car maintenance base, unusual for a maintenance yard, is a building located 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 am to midnight, seven days a week.[9] This schedule is adjusted during events. Trains on the Inner Loop run in tandem and arrive every 90 seconds during rush hours and every three minutes otherwise. Outer Loop trains arrive every 5 to 6 minutes; every 2.5 to 3 minutes where the track is shared.[5]

The cost of building the system was about $153.3 million. The operating budget for the Inner and Outer (Brickell and Omni) loops in FY 2007 was $8,888,794. Ridership total for FY 2007 was 8.7 million.[10] Not including capital costs, this gives an approximate cost of $1.02 per ride. Metromover does not charge for rides; however, a $2.25/1.1 fee is charged if transferring to Metrorail or Metrobus.

Stations

See main article: List of Miami-Dade Transit metro stations. The Metromover currently operates 21 stations, all within the Miami city limits.

StationLinesConnectionsOpened
Metrorail

Green Line, Orange Line
Metrobus: 2, 7, 7A, 9, 11, 51, 77, 93, 95, 119 (S), 120, 207, 208, 246, 277, 500, 836 Express
Miami Trolley: Coral Way
Broward County Transit: 95, 595

Metrobus

7, 7A, 836 Express
Brightline (at MiamiCentral)

Metrobus

7, 7A, 9, 120

Metrobus

9, 93, 119 (S), 120

None
Metrobus

3, 93, 119 (S), 120

Metrobus

119 (S), 120, 836 Express

None
Metrobus

7, 7A, 9, 11, 77, 93, 119 (S), 120, 836 Express

Metrobus

9, 10

Metrobus

3, 10, 16, 32, 93, 101 (A), 113 (M), 119 (S), 120

Metrobus

3, 93, 95, 119 (S), 120

Metrobus

9, 119 (S)

Metrobus

9, 119 (S), 120

Metrobus

7, 9, 119 (S), 120

None
None
Metrobus

95

Miami Trolley

Brickell Key & Mercy Hospital

Metrobus

95, 595Miami Trolley

Brickell Key & Mercy Hospital

Metrorail

Green Line, Orange LineMetrobus

8, 8A, 24, 102 (B), 207, 208, 500
Miami Trolley: Biscayne, Brickell, Coral Way

Metrobus

102 (B)

Rolling stock

Metromover mainly uses 29 Bombardier Innovia APM 100 vehicles, the first 12 of which were delivered during the summer and fall of 2008.[11] These newer vehicles replaced the first 12 Westinghouse C-100 cars which were built by Westinghouse Electric in 1984, and include a more aerodynamic design, as well as an onboard CCTV system.[12] Deliveries of an additional 17 cars from Bombardier Transportation began in July 2010, and as of early 2014 have largely replaced the second order of 17 Adtranz C-100 vehicles, built by Adtranz predecessor AEG-Westinghouse in 1992.

Ridership

Sortable chart detailing monthly weekday ridership averages by Calendar Year; right hand chart giving annual averages may use "fiscal year" without disclosure, where the FY begins in October and has 75% of its time in the next year with only 25% in the starting year. Note the large jump in ridership in 2002 when the fare was removed after the passing of the half-penny tax. Yearly averages are rounded to the nearest 500, and the highest month is also in bold. After years of growth, Metromover ridership began falling in 2017, following years of sharp declines in Metrobus and Metrorail ridership. Ridership peaked again in early 2020 at over 30,000 per weekday before crashing during the years long covid pandemic.

Month201020112012201320142015201620172018
1January27,90029,70028,00031,80032,20032,80034,40032,60028,700
2February25,60030,70031,00032,70034,70033,20035,30032,90030,100
3March25,60030,50032,40032,50035,30035,00036,40034,10031,100
4April26,30030,70029,70030,40031,10032,40034,70031,700
5May26,80029,20028,90028,90030,30029,70032,20029,300
6June 25,80029,60029,50032,50030,20030,10031,30028,100
7July25,50029,40029,000 29,10030,40030,60032,10029,800
8August26,80029,00027,20028,70031,10031,10030,60028,900
9September28,10030,10029,90031,40031,80032,00032,00024,700
10October30,00031,10031,10033,00033,90035,00031,500[13] 29,300
11November30,00030,10032,20033,90032,90035,20034,10030,000
12December27,70027,20029,60031,40032,30033,20032,00029,200
13Year Average27,00030,00030,00031,00032,00032,50033,000
Average Weekday Passengers
(Metromover loops only)
Fiscal Year Ridership
1995
1996 -0.6%
1997 +12.5%
1998 -1.7%
1999 +4.6%
2000 +3.6%
2001 +17.1%
2002 0.0%
2003 +55.2%
2004 +10.5%
2005 +1.0%
2006 -5.0%
2007 +3.8%
2008 -4.9%
2009 -3.0%
2010 +5.0%
2011 +9.6%
2012 +4.1%
2013 +5.8%

Average weekday passengers

This table includes Metrorail ridership as the two systems were built together and are mutually reliant on the thousands of daily transfers at Government Center and Brickell stations.

Year Annual passengers
(with Green & Orange lines)[14]
Average weekday passengers
(with Green & Orange lines)[15]
1995 18,614,000 63,100
1996 18,092,400 60,100
1997 18,098,900 60,800
1998 17,363,800 58,140
1999 17,839,100 60,654
2000 18,280,100 61,639
2001 18,629,800 63,514
2002 19,103,800 63,508
2003 21,297,400 76,769
2004 24,673,900 83,486
2005 25,538,500 88,173
2006 25,777,600 85,400
2007 26,510,800 87,767
2008 27,799,600 90,392
2009 25,778,200 85,875
2010 25,559,400 87,075
2011 27,515,100 92,334
2012 28,498,500 104,000
2013 30,531,100* 105,500*
*Record high

Incidents

Expansion

Port of Miami

In May 2011, a study was proposed to analyze the idea of extending the Metromover to the PortMiami. 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 has not been reported on since 2014.[20]

South Beach

There have been multiple proposals for a Metromover service to southern Miami Beach. One was as part of the proposed Resorts World Miami megaproject in Miami's Arts & Entertainment District neighborhood, announced in mid-2011, a Metromover expansion from Downtown Miami to South Beach was being pushed as recompense for building a casino. The line could potentially run from the Arts & Entertainment District 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 connect Miami Beach to rail mass transit for the first time, and provide a direct rail connection into one of the Miami area's most visited neighborhoods. The line would also allow for future expansions later across South Beach.[21] More recently, proposals for a separate, most likely at-grade, light-rail system known as BayLink have been revived.[22] [23]

Miami-Dade originally planned to have a monorail along the southern edge of MacArthur Causeway from Downtown Miami to South Beach.[24] However, in November 2022, the original plan would be changed to Metromover because the budget did not allow for the proposed monorail and it would not provide a one-seat ride from Downtown Miami to South Beach.[25]

Northward expansion

A county plan unveiled in March 2021 shows an extension north from the current School Board station along North Miami Avenue, connecting the system to Midtown, Wynwood, and The Design District. An infill station called Herald Plaza would also be added on the site of the former Miami Herald building, eventually connecting the Metromover system to Miami Beach.[26]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Whatever Happened to the Downtown People Mover?. The Atlantic Media Company. December 8, 2011. Jaffe, Eric. 2012-01-11.
  2. Web site: Miami Metromover – The First Automated Downtown Peoplemover in the U.S.. University of Washington. June 29, 2008. 2012-01-14.
  3. News: Bayside Boosts Metromover Ridership. April 15, 1987. Sun Sentinel. Jean Thompson. 2011-04-02.
  4. News: Metromover Extension Ok'd. Tom Lassiter. Sun Sentinel. November 4, 1987. September 18, 2011.
  5. Web site: Two of a Kind: Miami's Metrorail & Metromover. Gena Holle. August 27, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20181107185250/http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/articlefiles/rail/rail19/Miami_Metrorail_Metromover.pdf. 7 November 2018.
  6. News: Metromover ridership doubles in three years. Claudio Mendonça. December 22, 2005. Miami Today. 2011-04-02.
  7. News: Bus and rail use dropped in Miami-Dade County as jobs fell off. Ashley D. Torres. February 10, 2011. Miami Today. 2011-04-02.
  8. News: As gas costs climb, ridership on Metrorail is rising. Fabiola Santiago. April 18, 2011. Miami Herald. 2011-04-19.
  9. Web site: Metromover . Miami-Dade County . December 25, 2023.
  10. Web site: Metromover Facts . December 15, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111215022053/http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/about_metromover.asp . December 15, 2011 .
  11. Web site: Transit tax path still debated. Miami Today News. Blake, Scott. 19 March 2014. 2014-03-22.
  12. http://www.bombardier.com/en/transportation/products-services/transportation-systems/driverless-systems/automated-people-movers/miami--usa?docID=0901260d800140cd Miami Metromover (Bombardier Transportation)
  13. Web site: Ridership Technical Report (October 2016) . Miami-Dade County . January 2017 . January 26, 2017.
  14. Web site: Ridership Report Archives . Apta.com . 2013-07-26 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111213031926/http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Pages/RidershipArchives.aspx . December 13, 2011 . dead .
  15. Web site: Ridership Technical Reports. Miami-Dade County. March 6, 2017.
  16. News: Man killed trying to get hat off tracks. 27 December 2015. Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 11 September 2008.
  17. Web site: Inquiry launches into Metromover crash. SunSentinel. 27 December 2015.
  18. Web site: Person Killed By Metromover In Downtown Miami. CBSMiami. February 5, 2014 . 27 December 2015.
  19. Web site: Man killed after fatal Metromover accident. 7 News WSVN. 27 December 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151230231539/http://www.wsvn.com/story/24643261/man-killed-after-fatal-metromover-accident. December 30, 2015. mdy-all.
  20. News: Metromover extension to Port of Miami proposed. Miami Herald. Alfonso Chardy. May 15, 2011. September 17, 2011.
  21. Web site: Beach Taxpayer's Association features forum on casino plan | Belle Isle Blog . Belleisleblog.wordpress.com . 2011-10-04 . 2013-07-26.
  22. News: Rail link between Miami, Miami Beach likely to be private-public affair. Miami Herald. July 8, 2014. Garvin, Glenn. August 29, 2014.
  23. News: Public-private transit projects planned. June 4, 2014. Miami Today. Blake, Scott. August 29, 2014.
  24. Web site: Smart Plan - Beach Corridor . 2022-11-02 . www.miamidade.gov . en.
  25. Web site: Gothner . Chris . 2022-11-02 . Metromover to Miami Beach? It's finally coming, officials say . 2022-11-02 . WPLG . en.
  26. Web site: Metromover Extension To The Design District: Here's Exactly Where Every New Station Is Proposed . thenextmiami.com . 2021-03-17 . 2021-06-20.