- Metromover
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Metromover
Metromover train approaching Bayfront Park in Downtown on Biscayne BoulevardInfo Transit type Rapid transit people mover Number of lines Downtown/Inner Loop
Omni Loop
Brickell LoopNumber of stations 21 Daily ridership 30,700 (February 2011)[1]
96,000 with Metrorail
8.27 million 2.6% (annual, 2010)Website Metromover Operation Began operation 17 April 1986 Operator(s) Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) Technical System length 4.4 miles (7.1 km) 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.[2]
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.
Contents
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.[3] That same year was when the planning began to extend the system to Brickell and Omni,[4] 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.[5] 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.[6] In early 2011, Metromover has seen an increase in ridership at the same time as there has been a decrease in Metrorail and Metrobus ridership and a decrease in employment.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]
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 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 World 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.[10]
Ridership
Monthly ridership averages
Date Passengers[11]
Metromover onlyPassengers
with MetrorailFebruary 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-100 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.[12]
Deliveries of an additional 17 cars from Bombardier Transportation began in July 2010.
Stations and Map
Main article: List of Miami-Dade Transit metro stationsThe 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 Miami 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
Gallery
-
A Metromover in the old livery on the Downtown Loop departing from Government Center station
See also
- Transportation in Miami
- Metrorail (Miami)
- Miami-Dade Transit
- Tri-Rail
References
- ^ [1] Metromover Ridership
- ^ http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/mover.asp
- ^ Jean Thompson (April 15, 1987). "Bayside Boosts Metromover Ridership". Sun Sentinel. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-04-15/news/8701240264_1_ridership-metromover-people-mover-system. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
- ^ Tom Lassiter (4 November 1987). "Metromover Extension Ok'd". Sun Sentinel. http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-11-04/news/8702030646_1_transit-system-metrorail-downtown. Retrieved 18 September 2011.
- ^ Gena Holle. "Two of a Kind: Miami's Metrorail & Metromover". http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles/anmviewer.asp?a=634. Retrieved 27 August 2011.
- ^ Claudio Mendonça (December 22, 2005). "Metromover ridership doubles in three years". Miami Today. http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/051222/story1.shtml. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
- ^ Ashley D. Torres (February 10, 2011). "Bus and rail use dropped in Miami-Dade County as jobs fell off". Miami Today. http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/110210/story6.shtml. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
- ^ Fabiola Santiago (April 18, 2011). "As gas costs climb, ridership on Metrorail is rising". Miami Herald. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/04/17/2172753/as-gas-costs-climb-ridership-on.html. Retrieved 2011-04-19.
- ^ Alfonso Chardy (15 May 2011). "Metromover extension to Port of Miami proposed". Miami Herald. http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/15/2217591/metromover-extension-to-port-of.html. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
- ^ http://belleisleblog.wordpress.com/2011/10/04/beach-taxpayers-association-features-forum-on-casino-plan/
- ^ http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/news_technical_reports_archive.asp
- ^ Miami Metromover (Bombardier Transportation)
External links
- http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/home.asp Miami-Dade Transit
- http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/mover.asp Metromover Homepage
People mover and monorail systems in the United States AirTrain JFK • AirTrain Newark • Detroit People Mover • Disneyland Monorail • Huntsville Hospital Tram System • Indiana University Health People Mover • JTA Skyway • Las Colinas APT System • Las Vegas Monorail • Mandalay Bay Tram • Memphis Suspension Railway • Metromover • Morgantown PRT • Seattle Center Monorail • Walt Disney World MonorailGreater Miami Miami (center city) CBD Urban centers Major thoroughfares North 36th Street · North 79th Street · North 103rd Street · North 125th Street · West 7th Avenue · West 27th Avenue · West 107th Avenue · Allapattah Road · Alton Road · Bird Road · Biscayne Boulevard · Collins Avenue · Coral Reef Drive · Coral Way · County Line Road · Flagler Street · Galloway Road · Gratigny · Ives Dairy Road · Julia Tuttle Causeway · Kendall Drive · Killian · Krome Avenue · William H. Lehman Causeway · LeJeune Road · Ludlam Road · MacArthur Causeway · Miami Avenue · Miami Gardens Drive · Milam Dairy Road · Miracle Mile · Ocean Drive · Okeechobee Road · Old Cutler Road · Port Boulevard · Red Road · Rickenbacker Causeway · South Dixie Highway · Sunset Drive · Tamiami Trail · Venetian CausewayColleges and universities Parks and recreation Amelia Earhart Park · Arch Creek · The Barnacle Historic State Park · Bayfront Park · Bicentennial Park · Big Cypress National Preserve · Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park · Biscayne National Park · Chapman Field Park · Crandon Park · Dinner Key · Everglades National Park · Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden · Fort Dallas · Fruit and Spice Park · Greynolds Park · Haulover Park · The Kampong · Matheson Hammock Park · Oleta River State Park · Peacock Park · Shark Valley · South Pointe Park · Tamiami Park · Tropical Park · Virginia Key · Zoo MiamiMajor districts and attractions Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts · American Airlines Arena · Boca Chita Key Historic District · Coral Castle · Design District · Downtown Miami Historic District · Jungle Island · Lummus Park · Homestead Historic Downtown District · MacFarlane Homestead District · Miami Art Deco District · Miami Seaquarium · Monkey Jungle · Normandy Isles Historic District · North Shore Historic District · Miami Riverwalk · South Beach · Villa VizcayaMajor shopping centers Aventura Mall · Bal Harbour Shops · Bayside Marketplace · CocoWalk · Dadeland Mall · Dadeland Station · Dolphin Mall · The Falls · Lincoln Road Mall · The Mall at 163rd Street · Mall of the Americas · Mary Brickell Village · Metrofare Shops & Cafe · Miami International Mall · Miracle Marketplace · The Shops at Sunset Place · Southland Mall · Village of Merrick Park · Westland MallPrimary modes of transport Miami International Airport · Port of Miami · Miami Central Station · Miami-Dade Transit (Metrobus · Metrorail · Metromover) · Tri-RailSouth Florida · Broward County · Palm Beach County · Portal · WikiProject Categories:- Miami Metromover
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