Here we are in South Florida. The silhouette of a monorail parade in front of us, but we are not at Disney World. We are in Miami on the Metromover, an ingenious piece of work serving citizens and tourists alike, a system of elevated trains running on monorails in the form of single or coupled cars, electronically operated and driverless, that connect and allow you to quickly reach certain points in downtown.
If on the one hand the Metromover turns out to be a real boon for getting from one point to another Downtown (and elsewhere too as we shall see), on the other hand we can also consider it a sort of tourist attraction for the pleasant views it offers: a quick and suggestive glance of buildings and skyscrapers that map the Miami skyline. So let’s find out how it works and when it can be useful to use it.
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What is Metromover in Miami?
Construction began in April 1986 limited to the city center and then expanded to two other districts in May 1994. These are vehicles that make loops, for a total length of 4.3 miles. The average speed is 8.7 miles per hour and the maximum speed is 30 miles per hour.
The exteriors of the trains sport colors in keeping with Florida’s sunshine: red, yellow, white, green and sea blue. The interiors are clean, there are handles and bars to keep your balance and (a few) seats at the end of the carriages dedicated to the elderly and disabled (priority seating). The stations are modern, essential structures, with canopies, open at the sides, benches and a digital display in support of the voice announcements that indicates the origin and destination of each carriage.
We recommend that you have a jacket handy as there is considerable air conditioning inside the cars. During the journey, the views change and we pass from splendid glimpses of skyscrapers, trees and palms to others that are a little less interesting, as is typical of a metropolis. Our gaze crosses another Metromover coming in the opposite direction. This elevated transport gives an idea of futuristic architecture and we like it.
Metromover Route Map and Hours
The service, which used to cost 25 cents, is now free and is used daily by more than 33,000 people who move around avoiding traffic problems in the following neighborhoods: Downtown Miami (business center, but also government buildings and residential areas), Brickell (area with luxury residences and financial institutions), Park West (with hotels and residences) and Omni (area with nightclubs).
The system connects twenty-one stations that are about 2 blocks apart, plus or minus two streets, and trains run at a frequency of 1.5 minutes during peak hours and 3 minutes at other times of the day. This service, operated by Miami-Dade Transit (MDT), is highly utilized; it operates Monday through Thursday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 5 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 6 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can still check the official website for any schedule changes.
In addition to connecting offices, public and residential buildings, it also connects commercial areas and attractions; it’s not only a utility service for workers but is an interesting solution for tourists, helps to manage the daily extra-work activities of residents, to take a panoramic city tour from a privileged point of view and it’s also a good solution for those who want to avoid the traffic, the subtropical Miami heat, the rain and for those who don’t have a rental car or don’t take a cab.
It is important to know that, in the event of service interruption, rides are replaced, again free of charge, by a shuttle bus service. If someone forgets personal property on the Metromover there is a Lost & Found office that answers at 786-469-5564 and is based at Overtown Transit Village, 701 NW 1st Court, Suite 140 in Miami. There are parking areas near the stops (independent of the Metromover, so there is a fee) and parking meters along the roadways.
Main Stops
Wondering where to catch the metromover? Here are a few stations from south to north that lead to points of interest:
- Brickell: Tenth Street Promenade Metromover Station: ideal to reach Mary Brickell Village (901 S.Miami Ave.), an area with stores and eateries
- Brickell: Fifth Street Metromover Station: ideal for getting to Circle Park (465 Brickell Ave.), an archaeological site dating back to prehistoric times.
- Downtown: Bayfront ParkStation: ideal for reaching Bayfront Park (301 Biscayne Blvd.) on Biscayne Bay, where there is an amphitheater, an open-air pavilion, where festivals are held and where the Riverwalk Trail begins. In November, the Riverwalk Trail hosts the Miami Riverwalk Festival, a popular event with free cultural entertainment.
- Downtown: College Bayside Metromover Station: ideal for reaching Bayside Marketplace (401 Biscayne Blvd.), a popular outdoor mall overlooking Biscayne Bay.
- Downtown: Freedom Tower Metromover Station: ideal for getting to the American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Blvd.) where many events are held including NBA games for the Miami Heat, and the Freedom Tower (600 Biscayne Blvd.) which houses the Museum of Contemporary Art.
- Omni: Adrienne Arsht Center Metromover Station: the right stop for Miami’s great theater.
The other means of transportation
But in addition to the Metromover, there are two other important transportation systems.
- Metrorail is a driver-operated, rapid, elevated rail system that runs on double tracks for about 24 miles on a route that covers 23 stations and uses 136 cars.
- There is also Metrobus, a wide-ranging service in Miami-Dade County (as far as the Middle Keys islands) that operates on 95 routes with over 800 buses.
The combination of these transportation systems is synonymous with great efficiency. And to provide seamless service, these three realities come together: Metromover connects to Metrorail near Government Center and at Brickell Station, and connects to Metrobus at various downtown locations. Remember that Metromover does not connect the main tourist area of Miami, South Beach, which can still be reached by other means, as we explained in our article on how to get around Miami.