Metrorail (Miami-Dade County)

Metrorail

Company type	Public transit system
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	1984
Headquarters	Miami , United States
Area served	Miami and Miami-Dade County, Florida
Owner	Miami-Dade Transit (MDT)
Website	www.miamidade.gov/transit/metrorail.asp

Metrorail represents the rapid transit network serving Miami and Miami-Dade County, Florida, managed by the county agency Miami-Dade Transit (MDT). Since its inauguration in 1984, it stands as Florida's sole rapid transit metro system, consisting of two lines with a total of 23 stations spread across of standard gauge track.

The system connects Miami’s central urban area, providing links between Miami International Airport, the Health District, Downtown Miami, and Brickell to northern communities such as Hialeah and Medley, alongside suburban neighborhoods including The Roads, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, and South Miami. The southern terminus is located at the urban hub of Dadeland in Kendall. Within Downtown, Metrorail interfaces with the Metromover, which serves Downtown and Brickell, and connects to South Florida’s commuter rail system at the Tri-Rail station. Every station provides access to various Metrobus routes. In , Metrorail achieved a total ridership of , averaging daily boardings during that year.

In 2012, the network expanded with the addition of its 23rd station at the Miami International Airport station, inaugurating the 16-station Orange Line running between MIA and . This extension substantially increased annual ridership by millions and improved direct transit access from Miami International Airport to Downtown Miami. The station also serves as a multimodal hub, integrating services such as direct connections to the Tri-Rail commuter rail, intercity buses operated by Greyhound Lines, and access to the Rental Car Center.

Construction

In 1964, the Miami Urban Area Transportation Study advocated for a rapid transit system in Greater Miami, prompted by a 35% population surge that brought the total close to 1.3 million residents within ten years. By 1972, voters in the county approved a $132.5 million bond dedicated to transit development, supplemented by state contributions since prior funding relied exclusively on fare revenues. The Federal Transit Administration agreed in 1976 to finance 80% of initial expenses, with state and local agencies covering the balance; ultimately, the project’s cost surpassed $1 billion.

An agreement in April 1979 transferred ownership of the Florida East Coast Railway right-of-way along US 1 to Miami-Dade Transit (then known as Metro Transit Agency). The official groundbreaking for "Metrorail" took place in June 1979 near what would become University station. Construction commenced in December 1980 with installation of guideway girders near the University of Miami; a total of 2,704 girders were placed at an expenditure of $55.9 million. The inaugural segment opened in June 1983, featuring 10 stations stretching from Dadeland South to Overtown, including a bridge over the Miami River. Revenue operations began on May 20, 1984, attracting 125,000 passengers on its complimentary opening day.

In that same year, artist Rockne Krebs created The Miami Line, a neon light installation spanning the Metrorail bridge above the Miami River. Extensions from Earlington Heights to Okeechobee became operational by May 1985. A connection with Tri-Rail commuter service was initially established via a temporary station in March 1989 before a permanent facility opened in June. Preliminary engineering for extending service to Palmetto Expressway started in 1996; Palmetto station was inaugurated in May 2003. Financial projections for 2006 indicated revenues of $17.15 million against expenses totaling $41.29 million—the latest publicly available data as of January 2012.

Due to relatively low population density and limited transit-oriented development outside downtown, Metrorail was designed primarily as a park-and-ride system. Consequently, most stations beyond the central business district feature parking amenities. Notably, Dadeland North and South stations together provide parking for over 3,000 vehicles. The garage at Earlington Heights was downsized because of insufficient ridership and now offers only 95 spaces. The parking facilities at Dadeland remain heavily utilized or exceed capacity; planned expansions such as the West Kendall Corridor and South Link are intended to address this demand.

At the northern end near Palmetto Expressway, Palmetto and Okeechobee stations collectively provide close to 2,000 parking spaces serving commuters from Broward County. A proposed North Corridor extension toward the Broward/Miami-Dade boundary would have introduced five additional park-and-ride locations totaling approximately 2,650 spaces. During the late 1990s, considerations were made for extending Metrorail into Broward County along University Drive reaching Broward Boulevard near Broward Mall in Plantation.

Ridership Increase and Transit Funding

Following the debut of the initial Green Line section, daily Metrorail ridership was below 10,000, increasing to 15,000 after the entire line was finished in 1984–85. The originally envisioned 50-mile multi-line network was never realized due to budget overruns, and limited transit-oriented development sparked criticism labeling the system as a boondoggle. President Ronald Reagan remarked that subsidizing the system cost more than providing limousine rides to passengers. Federal contributions accounted for approximately $800 million of the $1.02 billion total project expenditure. Ridership saw modest gains in the late 1980s, particularly near Dadeland stations in suburban Kendall, where fewer curves and greater station spacing along South Dixie Highway allowed for faster service and higher passenger numbers. Nevertheless, ridership plateaued throughout the 1990s at roughly 50,000 daily riders—only about 25% of initial forecasts—and criticism continued.

Although a proposed one-cent increase in the transit sales tax failed in 1999, Miami-Dade County voters approved a half-cent surtax in 2002 aimed at funding new transit expansions such as the Metrorail Orange Line and enhanced bus services. Early enhancements included around-the-clock operations and shorter intervals between trains during peak hours. The surtax was intended to finance up to 88.9 miles of additional Metrorail track by 2030, beginning with the Orange Line’s northern corridor and an east–west route by 2016. However, Miami-Dade Transit encountered budget shortfalls and allocated some of the tax revenue toward operating expenses and administrative costs at its new headquarters near Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre station. By the late-2000s recession, only the 2.4-mile AirportLink portion of the Orange Line was fully funded; service reductions in 2008 decreased train frequency below levels seen before the tax increase.

In reaction to these issues, The Miami Herald released an investigative report titled "Taken For A Ride," highlighting broken promises and misappropriated funds. Despite cutbacks, factors such as rising fuel costs, traffic congestion, and increased downtown residential development pushed weekday ridership above 60,000 by 2011—still falling short of the original projection of 75,000 daily riders by 1985.

The transit surtax also supported enhancements to Metromover, including eliminating fares to stimulate ridership and lower fare collection expenses, with the goal of boosting overall transit usage including on Metrorail.

Orange Line Expansion and Airport Connection

Although initial plans called for direct service to the airport, political influence led to rerouting the Metrorail line away from it toward Hialeah. In May 2009, Miami-Dade County initiated the AirportLink project—a Metrorail extension from Earlington Heights station to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), located adjacent to Miami International Airport’s rental car facility. This $506 million endeavor was primarily financed through the People’s Transportation Plan (PTP) half-penny tax along with $101.3 million from the Florida Department of Transportation. Construction began in May 2009. The Orange Line extension opened on July 28, 2012, completing both on schedule and under budget. At MIC, passengers can transfer seamlessly to Tri-Rail, Greyhound buses, and the MIA Mover, significantly enhancing multimodal transportation connectivity.

Transit-oriented development

To enhance ridership along the Metrorail corridor, several affordable housing projects have been developed in partnership with transit initiatives, embodying the principles of transit-oriented development. Notable examples include apartment complexes such as , Transit Village, and The Beacon located near the Historic Overtown/Lyric Theater station in Downtown Miami. The Miami-Dade Transit headquarters, situated adjacent to this station, is also referred to as the Overtown Transit Village. Opened in March 2012, Brownsville Transit Village offers 490 residential units and incorporates eco-friendly plumbing systems designed to conserve approximately five million gallons of water annually, resulting in utility savings estimated at $50,000 per year. Despite these investments, by 2016, stations like Brownsville and Santa Clara continued to record the lowest ridership figures, each consistently attracting fewer than 1,000 passengers daily. Ridership north of Civic Center tends to be roughly one-third that of stations further south, a trend influenced by factors such as industrial land use, sparse population density, and stagnant or declining demographics in areas including Gladeview and Brownsville. Moreover, service north of Earlington Heights is limited to a single line with longer intervals between trains.

Downtown Express

In December 2015, Miami-Dade Transit introduced the Downtown Express, a temporary pilot program providing express service during peak commuting hours by bypassing multiple stations on routes to downtown Miami. Morning express trains stopped exclusively at , , , and stations; afternoon service followed a similar pattern. Although the initiative was positively received by riders, time savings were minimal due to headway constraints inherent in the two-track system. While the pilot extended beyond its initial month, the Downtown Express service has since been discontinued.

Trackage

The Metrorail system extends from Medley through Hialeah into Miami’s central business district, continuing through Coral Gables and South Miami before terminating at Dadeland Mall in the southwestern part of Miami-Dade County. It encompasses 23 accessible stations spaced at intervals of approximately . Connections are available with the Metromover at both and stations, as well as with South Florida’s Tri-Rail commuter rail at the Tri-Rail transfer station.

Following completion of the Airport Link in 2012, peak-hour service frequency improved significantly, achieving train headways ranging from 3.5 to 5 minutes between Dadeland South and Earlington Heights.

The majority of Metrorail tracks are elevated; however, three short segments run at ground level beneath I-95 near Vizcaya/Brickell and Culmer stations, as well as close to Palmetto station. Platforms are designed to accommodate trains up to six cars in length, although Dadeland North, Earlington Heights, and Government Center stations are equipped for eight-car trains. Regular operations typically involve four- or six-car trainsets; during evening hours, two out-of-service trains may be coupled together for movement back to Lehman Yard located west of Okeechobee station. Lehman Yard contains additional track capacity along with the Lehman Center Test Track dedicated to train testing.

Current fleet

The Metrorail fleet consists of 136 heavy-rail vehicles manufactured by Hitachi Rail Italy, which were introduced beginning in December 2017. These cars were produced at a specialized facility in Medley, Florida, and are semi-permanently joined into married pairs that form standard four-car trains; configurations with six cars are also utilized. The vehicles feature amenities such as complimentary Wi-Fi access, interior bicycle racks, sophisticated announcement systems, digital display signage, and energy-efficient air conditioning systems.

Previous rolling stock

Metrorail formerly operated 136 heavy-rail vehicles known as the Budd Universal Transit Vehicle, produced by the Budd Company under the "Transit America" program. These units, constructed in 1983 at Budd's Red Lion facility in Northeast Philadelphia, share design similarities with the fleet used on the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink, as both systems placed a joint order to reduce expenses. Each railcar measures 75 feet in length and 10 feet in width, capable of reaching speeds exceeding 58 miles per hour and accommodating up to 166 passengers.

Fleet modernization

Funding for replacement Metrorail cars was secured through a collaboration between Miami-Dade County and the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust (CITT), supported by a half-penny sales surtax approved in 2002. Although initial intentions favored refurbishing the existing fleet, a 2008 cost-benefit study revealed that procuring new vehicles was equally or more economical. Efforts to coordinate procurement with Washington Metro to achieve cost savings through bulk purchasing were unsuccessful.

In 2011, Miami-Dade issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) with a maximum price set at $2.419 million per vehicle. Submissions from Italy-based AnsaldoBreda and CAF USA fulfilled the criteria; while AnsaldoBreda offered a lower price, CAF challenged the bid due to concerns over local assembly preferences potentially conflicting with Buy America Act regulations. After removing local assembly considerations from evaluation, Miami-Dade reaffirmed AnsaldoBreda as the preferred vendor and authorized a $313 million contract for 136 cars in November 2012.

Deliveries commenced following the opening of the Medley assembly plant in early 2016. By that time, AnsaldoBreda had been acquired by Hitachi Rail, which extended the full deployment timeline to 2019, with initial service starting in December 2017. Delivery setbacks caused by flooding at Hitachi’s Missouri manufacturing facility delayed completion until after 2020. This shortfall necessitated operating some Metrorail trips with two-car configurations.

Fare structure and operations

As of August 3, 2024, the regular Metrorail fare is set at $2.25, with a discounted rate of $1.10 available. Monthly passes are priced at $112.50 for standard riders and $56.25 for reduced fare holders, available at more than 50 retail locations. Reduced fares apply to Medicare beneficiaries, individuals with disabilities, and Miami-Dade students from grades one through twelve. Children under 42 inches tall ride free when accompanied by a paying adult (limit of three children). All stations feature ticket vending machines (TVMs) dispensing Easy Cards and Easy Tickets. Seniors aged 65 and older receiving Social Security benefits, along with veterans earning less than $22,000 annually, qualify for free rides using a reduced fare monthly Easy Card. Except for downtown and Tri-Rail stations, parking is provided at a daily rate of $4.50 or monthly fee of $11.50.

In July 2008, Miami-Dade Transit announced a complete transition to the reloadable Easy Card system by late 2009, replacing cash and tokens with automated fare deduction via fare gates. The final installation took place at Government Center in August 2009; since October 1, 2009, all passengers must use either Easy Cards or Easy Tickets to access stations. Initial security concerns involving credit card fraud were addressed through transaction limits and zip code verification.

Between 2009 and 2011, complimentary Wi-Fi service was introduced systemwide across Metrorail, Metromover, and selected Metrobus routes.

Starting July 28, 2012, service frequency increased along shared Green and Orange Line stations from Dadeland South to Earlington Heights—trains run every five minutes during peak periods, every seven minutes midday, and every fifteen minutes during late evenings and weekends. Stations served by only one line receive trains every ten minutes during rush hours, every fifteen minutes midday, and every fifteen to thirty minutes after six p.m., with weekend service intervals of thirty minutes. On weekends, the Orange Line operates between Earlington Heights and Miami International Airport every fifteen minutes. Operating hours extend daily from 5 a.m. until midnight. A brief experiment with continuous 24-hour service occurred between June 2003 and April 2004 but was discontinued due to insufficient ridership.

To provide overnight transit coverage, Route 500 Midnight Owl bus runs hourly between Dadeland South and Government Center from 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m.

Construction on the Orange Line's AirportLink began in May 2009; service connecting Miami International Airport commenced in summer 2012.

On August 21, 2019, contactless payment options were introduced at Metrorail stations allowing riders to tap smartphones or smartwatches using Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Fitbit Pay. Fare gates were upgraded instead of replaced to minimize expenses. Cubic Transportation Systems has supplied fare technology since implementing the Easy Card system.

MetroPath / The Underline

Running beneath the Metrorail tracks from Brickell to Dadeland South, on the old Florida East Coast Railway corridor, is the nearly uninterrupted MetroPath (M-Path) trail for cyclists and pedestrians. Established in 1984 alongside the metro system, it is heavily frequented by runners and cyclists, including those commuting to downtown.

In 2014, the group "Friends of the GreenLink," supported by the University of Miami, proposed converting MetroPath into a linear park modeled after New York City's High Line. By 2015, this project was renamed "The Underline" and began phased development, targeting full completion by 2025.

Stations

Miami-Dade Transit operates 23 Metrorail stations. When combined with Metromover stops in Downtown Miami and Brickell, the total station count reaches 43. Metrorail stations are spaced roughly one mile apart, while Metromover stations appear about every two blocks in the downtown area.

Current stations

Estimated travel durations to and from Government Center in Downtown are provided below.

Station	Lines	Time to Downtown	Connections	Opened	Average weekday passengers (03/2018)
Template:Parking symbol	Template:Rcb	31 min	Metrobus: 87	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	1,500
Template:Parking symbol		26 min	Metrobus: 73, 183	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	1,156
Template:Parking symbol		23 min	Metrobus: 37, 54, 79		1,408
Tri-Rail Template:Parking symbol		21 min	Tri-Rail Metrobus: 79	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	1,284
Template:Parking symbol		19 min	Metrobus: 12, 17, 21, 32, 79, 279	REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting	1,496
Template:Parking symbol		16 min	Metrobus: 27, 62		1,216
Template:Parking symbol		14 min	Metrobus: 27, 54		899
Miami International Airport Template:Parking symbol	Template:Rcb	16 min	"Tri-Rail MIA Mover Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: 7, 20, 36, 37, 57, 150, 338"	" REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting "	"1,776"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	" rowspan=\"15\" "Template:Rcb" "Template:Rcb"	"data-sort-value=\"11 min\"" "11 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: 17, 22, 95"	" rowspan=\"5\" " REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting "	"1,686"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"09 min\"" "9 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: 12, 21, 36, 401"	"1,930"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"07 min\"" "7 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: 12, 20 ,21, 32, 401"	"908"
""	"data-sort-value=\"06 min\"" "6 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: 12, 21, ,95, 401"	"5,679"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"04 min\"" "4 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: 77"	"1,305"
""	"data-sort-value=\"02 min\"" "2 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: 2, 7, 95, 401, 836 Express, 837 Express "	" rowspan=\"10\" " REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting "	"2,004"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"00 min\"" " – "	"Metromover: Downtown, Omni, Brickell Loops Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: Multiple routes including express Broward County Transit: X95 Brightline (at MiamiCentral)"	"10,818"
""	"data-sort-value=\"02 min\"" "2 min"	"Metromover: Brickell Loop Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: Multiple routes Broward County Transit: X595"	"6,319"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"05 min\"" "5 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: Multiple routes"	"1,265"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"07 min\"" "7 min"	"Miami-Dade Transit#Metrobus: Several routes including local service"	"1,748"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"09 min\"" "9 min"	'Bus connections including Miami Trolley Coral Gables route.'	"3,623"
"" "Template:Parking symbol"	"data-sort-value=\"12 min\"" "12 min"	'Multiple Metrobus routes.'	'2,041'
'' 'Template:Parking symbol'	'data-sort-value="14 min"' '14 min'	'Several Metrobus routes.'	'3,007'
'' 'Template:Parking symbol'	'data-sort-value="16 min"' '16 min'	'Extensive bus connections.'	'6,029'
'' 'Template:Parking symbol'	'data-sort-value="18 min"' '18 min'	'Bus connections plus South Miami-Dade Busway service.'	'7,289'

Proposed expansions

Although the Metrorail system was initially planned to encompass several lines beyond the existing two, the federally subsidized expenses surpassed the budget at $1.02 billion, and the actual ridership failed to meet expectations. The expansion proposals comprised:

• The Biscayne/Northeast Corridor tracing U.S. Route 1 from Government Center to the Broward/Miami-Dade boundary in Aventura.
• The North Corridor extending along NW 27 Avenue up to the county line.
• The East–West Corridor connecting Government Center westward to Florida International University’s main campus and eastward to the Port of Miami.
• The BayLink linking Historic Overtown/Lyric Theater station with South Beach in Miami Beach.
• The South Link, a planned extension of the Green Line stretching from Dadeland South to Florida City.
• The Douglas Road extension running from Douglas Road station to the Miami Intermodal Center.
• The Kendall Corridor following Kendall Drive from Dadeland North westward toward West Kendall and northward to FIU.

Following the approval of the half-penny transit tax in 2002, expansion efforts regained momentum, prioritizing the North Corridor and East–West lines, collectively referred to as the "Orange Line." Despite forecasts projecting up to of rail mileage by 2030, fiscal limitations and reductions in federal funding resulted in actual growth limited to just the 2.4-mile AirportLink and Orange Line within a decade.

Miami-Dade Transit has faced challenges regarding its reliability, particularly due to inflated ridership and revenue estimates, which have impeded federal funding approvals. In 2011, a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) investigation examined financial practices, leading to increased oversight and potential service reductions that were ultimately avoided through prudent financial management.

The South Link project intended to supplant the South Miami-Dade Busway—a bus rapid transit (BRT) corridor developed incrementally since 1997—by introducing enhanced infrastructure such as elevated crossings and possibly a new station at SW 104 Street to alleviate congestion near Dadeland. A 2009 initiative proposing toll-based access for regular traffic on the busway did not succeed. Renamed as the South-Dade Transitway Corridor, this route is currently under development as a BRT Standard gold-level bus rapid transit line, with revenue service anticipated in fall 2024.

On November 16, 2022, Miami-Dade County revealed plans to accelerate construction on the North Corridor along NW 27th Avenue, spanning from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza station to Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, aiming for a 2024 commencement supported by federal funds. This project will unfold in two stages: Phase I will extend service to Hard Rock Stadium including one station; Phase II will add additional stations and transit-oriented developments along the elevated track.

On January 9, 2023, Miami-Dade County’s Transportation, Mobility and Planning Committee unanimously approved advancing design efforts for this extension, incorporating an additional station at Miami-Dade College during Phase I alongside the Hard Rock Stadium terminus. Infrastructure firm HNTB secured a $44 million contract for design work while Florida Department of Transportation simultaneously conducts a Project Development and Environment Study to hasten progress. Phase II envisions park-and-ride facilities at five out of eight total stations.

As of June 2024, completion of this North Corridor extension is anticipated by 2036.

Ridership

Average weekday ridership figures reveal a marked rise beginning in September 2012, coinciding with the Orange Line extension reaching Miami International Airport (MIA), which was the largest initiative financed by the 2002 half-penny tax. Below Earlington Heights, service frequency was doubled, resulting in an increase of nearly 10,000 daily riders—significantly surpassing the new station's direct contribution of fewer than 2,000 passengers. Annual averages are rounded to the closest 500, with the peak month emphasized in bold. Ridership commonly decreases during summer months due to reduced county population and traffic volumes, while December experiences lower numbers attributed to the prolonged holiday period.

By 2016, there was a noticeable drop in ridership during summer, with July recording the lowest figures since the Orange Line's inception. This pattern mirrored declines seen in Metrobus starting in 2014, attributed to an aging vehicle fleet and declining fuel prices, reaching decade lows in June and July 2016. Metromover also saw diminished ridership in October 2016 because of service suspensions caused by Hurricane Matthew. The downward trajectory continued through 2017, with September ridership affected by Hurricane Irma. Beginning in March 2020, all three transit systems experienced sharp declines amid the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a gradual recovery spanning three years.

#	Month	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
1	January	60,400	62,700	65,100	70,100	73,100	76,300	76,000	71,500	65,100
2	February	61,500	65,300	66,600	74,100	78,100	77,800	77,200	73,900
3	March	61,400	63,900	66,000	74,000	76,500	77,600	76,000	73,300
4	April	60,600	65,000	66,400	74,500	76,100	76,200	75,900	69,900
5	May	59,300	63,100	61,900	70,900	72,900	74,400	72,000	69,600
6	June	57,800	60,700	60,500	71,600	69,100	71,300	67,800	64,300
7	July	56,400	58,300	61,300	66,500	67,500	69,500	65,200	61,800

Fiscal Year	Ridership	% Change
1984	16,000	+
1985	20,000	+20.0%
'95	50,400	+60.3%
'96	48,100	-4.6%
'97-02'	~47,000 - ~47,000	Varied ±5%
'03-05'	Increased to ~59,700	+8% average annual growth
'06-09'	Stabilized between ~58-63k	Minor fluctuations
'10-14'	Rose to ~74.6k	Consistent growth after extension

Year	Annual passengers (including Metromover)	Average weekday passengers (including Metromover)

• Record peak

Ridership Milestones

Date	Number of Passengers	Notes
May 20, 1984	150,000	Opening day
June 24, 2013	117,000	Miami Heat victory parade
January 1, 1991	101,000	New Year's celebration

See also

• Transportation in South Florida
• List of metro systems
• List of United States rapid transit systems by ridership
• List of North American rapid transit systems by ridership
• List of Florida railroads