Exploring the Miami Metromover: A Great Downtown People Mover

[@thatfloridian5719]

As a Miami resident I think it’s very useful it complements the metro rail and metro bus and is handy with running 5AM-12AM 7 days a week

[@Thom-TRA]

Those are pretty good times. Though I wonder if something in Miami could run all night.

[@Newberntrains]

@@Thom-TRA think the gap likely would be for cleaning the vehicles and servicing them seems about the right time span i think even ATL shuts off the plane train at night

[@yaush_]

@@Thom-TRAany transit network would be best if it could run all night, and might make especial sense for the late night culture of Miami. However, I wonder how many people would realistically use it at that hour.

[@jonathanbott87]

​@@Newberntrains I wonder if they could find a sweet spot of reduced overnight schedule that allowed them to keep some service while cycling all cars out for upkeep.

[@thatfloridian5719]

@@Thom-TRA there’s 2 owl buses in Miami 400 & 401 they run hourly 12AM-4:30 AM and there’s talks of the metro mover inner loop to run every 10 minutes with one train outside there current hours

[@thomasaly7624]

In my opinion, another hidden benefit of "quirky non-standard" transit is that it makes the general public excited about transit. Think of it as good advertising for public transit in general; those 7 million riders are probably more likey to now vote for broader transit improvements

[@Thom-TRA]

That’s an interesting point I hadn’t considered before

[@michaelsmith9590]

How fortunate that: #1 your Metro-Mover ride included TWO coaches, #2 north (Omni) leg was operational and #3 that your trip was not crowded. My recent attempt to visit a sailing ship docked at Ferre Park, downtown Miami was hampered by #A long pedestrian lines, #B inoperative Metro-Mover stations near that site (the partial ride became a walk tour) and #3 heavily-congested Biscayne Boulevard plus other downtown streets at the park entrance became a challenge while a week-end crew blocked-off vehicle lanes during their roadway re-paving project.

[@miamihurricane555]

​@@michaelsmith9590The MetroMover & Metrorail are in the middle of a massive overhaul with the essential operating systems & hardware being replaced. The overhaul is supposed to be finished by June 2025 and once completed all the issues with reliability should be resolved.

[@brycebundens6866]

You hit the nail on the head!!! As opposed to Detroit, the Miami’s Mover success comes from the great connections to other transit systems!!! It’s just replacing trams in the transit hierarchy, just below Metro for shorter distances and more frequent stops! Definitely makes me want to visit Miami, thanks for the awesome video

[@Thom-TRA]

I like the connection you make to trams

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Exactly, Metromover is so successful because of its connections, not just with Metrorail, Tri-Rail and Brightline, but also with connecting with multiple routes of the Metrobus network like dedicated bus loops at Government Center and Adrienne Arsht Center stations, it's a fully built-out system unlike the Jacksonville Skyway and DPM (the Detroit People Mover was meant to be a downtown circulator of a bigger regional plan with different rail lines and the then SEMTA Commuter Rail being expanded to Ann Arbor and Port Huron as feeders; Detroit and the suburbs couldn't agree on anything for the 600 mil. promised by Gerald Ford and so only the circulator got built before federal money was withdrawn by Reagan), and of course it goes where people wanna go, becoming a catalyst for downtown development! 7 million a year for a system that has been 4.4 miles long is impressive! As for Metromover expansion, they've been wanting to expand it to Miami Beach, which would help increase ridership and transit connectivity to Miami Beach big time of course because of all the tourists and would help ease crowding on buses to Miami Beach from downtown, but sadly in February 2024, the Miami Beach City Commission voted to oppose a Metromover extension to South Beach. Brickell was named after Ohioans William and Mary Brickell, who came to the mouth of the Miami River with their children in 1871. They opened and operated the area’s first trading post and post office. The Brickells traded with the Miccosukee and Seminoles who traveled from the Everglades. The Brickells had extensive real estate holdings that included all of present-day Brickell and extended south to Coconut Grove. Along with Julia Tuttle, who's considered the founder of Miami, who owned extensive land north of the Miami River, the Brickells had been involved with negotiations with Henry Flagler to extend his railroad to Miami and, also along with Tuttle, agreed to give land to Flagler when he brought his railroad here. Mary Brickell took control of the family’s real estate holdings, and Brickell is now the booming Financial District of the city thanks in part to Mary! She developed Millionaire’s Row on present-day Brickell Avenue, as well as Brickell Hammock, which is now The Roads.

[@holly5234]

Glad you could ride our quirky little system!. I’ve ridden on it many times it honestly works really nicely for getting around downtown, really wish Detroit and Jacksonville could take inspiration for how to make a downtown people mover actually work well and connect different parts of the city. Really hope they can extend it to South beach someday as there was that idea in development recently, there needs to be better transit as an alternative to the extremely backed up MacArthur causeway and maybe actually get more native Miamians to get there (most of us avoid it for the traffic 😅)

[@xoxxobob61]

The current plan is to extend Metromover to South Beach according to the MDTA. For some reason there are people on South Beach who oppose this because they think it will bring in "Un-desireables"! I'm typing this on Memorial day Weekend and have they seen what happens there even without our little "Choo-Choo" train? 😂🤣😋

[@lylelanley18]

Well, that tears it! Now I’ll have to make a trip back to Miami. I remember seeing the guideways being built when there for a convention in Oct. of ‘81 and being fascinated by it even then. Thanks for yet another enlightening video, Thom!

[@Thom-TRA]

“Why did you come to Miami?” “For the transit.” Stares blankly.

[@vetteseller5]

Great video, and great content. I live in South Beach and drive. but have always wanted to ride these pods. they are a sign of the future, when we were younger. and FREE. thanks Miami.

[@johnlabus7359]

I rode it today to Jury Duty. I love it!

[@Thom-TRA]

I guess the verdict is in!

[@johnlabus7359]

@@Thom-TRA The system really does punch above its weight, and I think that one of the keys to its success is the staggering amount of residential towers that dot the core of Miami around the stations. It's much busier than it was just 10 or 15 years ago due to all the new residents. It also doesn't hurt that it takes riders to lots of attractions like the arena/Bayside, Museum Park, the performing arts center, and Brickell City Centre. Oh....and yes, the courthouse for jury duty!

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. station is named after a Bahamian-American judge who served as a US district judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida (from 1993 to his death in 2003), as well as serving on the Florida Third District Court of Appeal and the 11th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. He was the first African-American to serve as a circuit court judge in Dade County and was also the first African-American appointed to serve on the Third District Court of Appeal in 1980. The Freedom Tower by Freedom Tower station was built in 1925 as the headquarters for the former newspaper The Miami News, and was inspired by the Giralda in Seville, Spain. In the 1960s, the US government used the building to process all the Cubans who arrived as refugees, and so it earned the nickname of the Freedom Tower! And I know other systems like the Metrromover of course go through buildings as you said, but the fact that Liziba station on Chongqing's Line 2 monorail isn't just an apartment building, but a 19-story apartment building, makes it so cool! Both the residential building and the station opened in 2005 (so the system wasn't retrofitted), and the station uses specialized noise reduction equipment to isolate station noise from the surrounding residences! Chongqing, China is a huge densely populated but mountainous city, with multiple river valleys, so using monorail or an elevated metro is the most effective option, and Chongqing's monorails are capable of transporting 32,000 passengers per hour per direction!

[@Thom-TRA]

Check out the Tokyo Metro Ginza line near its Shibuya terminus!

[@ButterfatFarms]

Does anybody really care who public facilities are named after?

[@star_8164]

I love taking MetroMover when ever I visit Miami and am around the downtown area. You're able to see a nice scenery from around downtown.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s a great ride!

[@LoridaMan]

Thank you for this video. I actually got very emotional at some of the showcasing of Miami. The older brutalist architecture left from the 80's at Government center at 6:18 and Riverfront station at 8:17 versus what the city I grew up in is becoming with City Center across the water. I didn't appreciate the Metro Mover growing up, it was just part of Downtown and I assumed most cities had one. And any Miami local or visitor knows the feeling at 10:10, where you are just exhausted from existing outside. A recent MetroRail North expansion was announced, would be excited to see that covered in the future!

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m sure I’ll be back someday!!

[@brianhubert8418]

Thanks for sharing this informative look at the Metromover. It looks like it fills a good niche and glad it's high frequency, that's so important. Would it be safe to say this is a use case scenario where such a system makes sense. You're not kidding about it being like a roller coaster!!

[@oakchar]

Looks like fun. I'll definitely ride it my next trip to Miami.

[@ck4426]

This people mover is awesome!!! And free!!! That makes it even more awesome!!!

[@Thom-TRA]

Free = awesome

[@alk61695]

Definitely has that airport shuttle feel. I've seen the Metromover from below but never rode it while I was in Miami. Next time I visit I will find time to ride it for sure.

[@Thom-TRA]

The good thing is you don’t need a lot of time to enjoy it!

[@alk61695]

@@Thom-TRA that is true.

[@spontaneouz1000-sr6ls]

As convenient of a train ride as you're gonna get. NYC resident here 👍👍👍

[@davidaldinger113]

You mentioned how more cities should have something like this and I really couldn’t agree more. There have been a few cities that were supposed to get people mover systems that decided against them.

[@BrianBaileyedtech]

I happened to have a bunch of flights through Miami around 1-2 years ago so I ended up taking metrorail from the airport and the metro mover downtown a bunch of times - and I loved it! First of all - it's CHEAP! Secondly, you get a great view of downtown - it's like a mini-orientation and tour. Thirdly, it was super convenient once you got used to the idiosyncracies of the loop.

[@JeffSchwenke]

I stayed at a hotel in Brickell last year that was less than a block away from one of the Metromover stations and it worked pretty well for me. I used it to transfer to the Metrorail, trolleys, and buses.

[@Thom-TRA]

How was getting to the mover? Pretty easy?

[@JeffSchwenke]

@Thom-TRA yes, very easy. Most of the buses and trolleys I used had stops next to a Metromover station and then only 2 minute walk from metromover station to my hotel.

[@TheStiggggg]

The Metromover is a very underrated system. Its reliable and much easier / cheaper than parking. If the connection to Miami Beach is ever built, it will be amazing.

[@marlonzequeiradelcampo8580]

Reliable ? 😂

[@kacamac]

I got to ride this as a kid when we visited Miami once, I thought it was SO cool. Coming from a town that didn't even have public buses back then it was really mind blowing.

[@Thom-TRA]

I bet it felt so futuristic!

[@HIDLad001]

It is probably the only downtown people mover that actually gets you where you need to go and has good frequency (I’m looking at Jacksonville and Detroit).

[@HIDLad001]

@@williamerazo3921 This is a good thing, maybe they will also be able to extend the line with the amount of cars they will be getting. If Jax could get the Newark Airport cars, the Skyway might also be a little less bad.

[@xoxxobob61]

@@williamerazo3921 The problem with Detroit is that they only built a one Loop system whereas Miami has 2 Loops going in opposite directions at all times. In Detroit you have to go around in a circle until you get to your stop.

[@Knightmessenger]

I think Detroit's issue is not really making it as easy to transfer or connect to other transit modes. There are a lot of useful places served by the Detroit People Mover but not enough easy ways to get to any part of the line without driving there.

[@roscalenecrailfanning8847]

Hey Tom. Thank you so much! I always wanted this covered as I am I Miami resident and watched the brightline, Tri rail, and now this video lol. Did you know?: besides the metro rail and the metro mover, these are not the only forms of transportation in Miami. There is also a busway that goes from the south terminus of the metrorail, to Florida city. They are even adding railroad crossing so the buses get the right of way! If I was the city, I would use articulated trolly busses for express rush hour service. I think it is a decent idea. Also, maybe you cover that too! Thanks for the video! Edit: btw I spelled “buses” wrong and put “busses” here it is *trollybuses

[@Thom-TRA]

Next time, when I have more time I hope to check out the busway! Hope it will be a real metro someday

[@roscalenecrailfanning8847]

Thanks, can’t wait to see that video come out!

[@roscalenecrailfanning8847]

@@Thom-TRA this was also in Singapore, right?

[@roscalenecrailfanning8847]

*the automated cars

[@BaileyChap]

The broken door at 1:44 LMAO

[@29downtheline]

Nice review of the Metromover! I think another reason it’s popular may be that walking around downtown Miami (at least the part near the interstate access and north of the Miami River) can be a harrowing experience. Lots of fast-moving cars (especially near the I-95 ramps) and poorly-timed traffic signals obviously designed for cars over pedestrians. It’s nice to not have to fight with vehicle traffic. Perhaps Miami could benefit from a bit of traffic calming, especially in the areas that don’t have the Metromover as an alternative.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes, I have never felt less safe as a pedestrian then when I was walking around downtown Miami. Which is shameful.

[@awesomeman116a]

Wow @Milesintransit just uploaded their version of this system!! So amazing!!

[@Thom-TRA]

Oh weird lol. I wonder if he was there in September too.

[@J-Bahn]

I find Miami so funny. It went from having no transit in early 1984 to ten years later having regional rail, metro, and a people mover. And then it feels like the system has just gone into a coma, apart from the airport extension and the works happening because of Brightline. Imagine if Miami was actually able to have an ongoing program of transit expansion like LA: where might it be today? I bet the new GTA game in vice city won’t include the metromover, metrorail, tri rail or Brightline, just like the last game didn’t (sigh) Also people who oppose elevated rail (looking at you Sherman oaks) need to come to Miami, and figure out which is the real blight on cities: elevated metro or freeways (or stroads for that matter).

[@peterwarner358]

Jacksonville has one of these running between the Florida Community College of Jacksonville to San Marco as well as their Convention Center. The inner there needs a few extensions, one of them to Amtrak, the other to the Jacksonville Airport.

[@Thom-TRA]

My one reason to go to Jacksonville lol

[@j-train13]

I've always said Florida needs to build another one of these in Broward County/Ft Lauderdale. Have it run right along 595 stopping at every exit/road intersection (the way this part of Florida is set up almost every exit has a plaza on the corner that would be well served by one of these) and have it stretch all the way out east to the Ft Lauderdale Tri Rail station and maybe even out to the airport. You mentioned in your Tri-Rail video that the train is located pretty inconveniently with nothing around and all of the stuff around to either the east or west, and I think this would help solve that issue.

[@Thom-TRA]

Interesting idea!

[@GeorgeP-uj8xc]

I agree that downtown Miami has a similar 80s/90s aesthetic like you see in Japan

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m glad someone else sees it!

[@chuck1728]

Parking in Miami is limited. I used to park outside the downtown and take the Metromover to see clients.It is very convenient and easy and safe + you cannot beat the price!

[@Thom-TRA]

Especially that last part!

[@hairypotter259]

This is awesome I wanna ride it now!

[@Thom-TRA]

Do it!

[@Gosox449]

That is a really unique way to get around, I’ll say that!

[@Geotpf]

Definitely a useful system, and the connections to other transit is the key. As a last mile solution, it can't be beat, but having as a stand alone system, like Detroit, would have hindered its usefulness. As for stations that go inside buildings, Los Angeles Metro Rail A Line has a station in Pasadena that goes through an apartment building, Memorial Park station.

[@Knightmessenger]

2 on Detroit's people mover, the Disney monorail goes in one of the hotels and there's that building in China that seems to get all kinds of video uploads.

[@robinindam6983]

Wow beautiful yeah

[@marclanghoff9789]

Interesting System. Never seen something simillar in Europe before excpet at the airports. Thanks for shareing! 😃

[@Thom-TRA]

Check out the H-Bahn in Dortmund, Germany! It’s suspended

[@marclanghoff9789]

@@Thom-TRA I know about this kind of Train. But for me that isn't compareable with those kind of system in the Video.

[@OntarioTrafficMan]

@@marclanghoff9789 Check out the Parkshuttle in Rotterdam! It has at-grade crossings.

[@HighHolyOne]

I like it. Almost a monorail. That center guideway makes switching easier than monorail (and i assume provides the power. Heavier understructure than monorail, but not by much. Design should allow for speed outside of center-city. Assume too that the center guideway is staunch enough to keep it from being blown off, even in high winds. I'd like to see the cross-section of the grip on the guideway.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes, I think that the center performs a lot of functions. Communicating with the shuttles too.

[@trainglen22]

Definitely have to take a trip to Miami to try all the great transit plus head to Orlando on the Brightline.

[@Thom-TRA]

It’s a perfect day trip

[@haj8579]

From your video, it works well as both an inner city transport and a tourist attraction. Considering that Miami is a tourism city that is visited by many North Americans, it might have a role of making people adapt to public transit systems. That would be great, since many Americans are still not used to use them, and sometimes, even afraid of them.

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah it seems very much like it’s for show. And like another commenter mentioned, it’s a good way to introduce people who might never have been on transit.

[@apluto12-z3e]

Great video like always Thom. Metromover is one of my favorite systems.

[@Thom-TRA]

Glad to hear it!

[@JJRol.]

I'm excited for the Morgantown WV video. That system has always puzzled me

[@Thom-TRA]

It was a bucket list item for years and it was totally worth it when I finally tried it out

[@michaelb9629]

That’s something else I want to do next time I visit Miami. I want to go to that city when I can drive to Key West and there will be a lot to see with all those water views.

[@Thom-TRA]

I wish the old railroad to Key West still existed!

[@michaelb9629]

@@Thom-TRA I don’t think I ever knew that! But I wish it did too.

[@xoxxobob61]

@@michaelb9629 Yes the first connections between Miami and Key West was the "Overseas" Railroad until a Hurricane destroyed the tracks then they used all of the bridges to build the Highway that currently exists.

[@michaelb9629]

@@xoxxobob61 Wow that’s interesting!

[@Skim_25]

Metromover was my only positive experience with public transportation in Miami; I bought a 7 day unlimited pass, but I barely used it bc the metro rail and buses came so infrequently and were delayed often. I know they have been talking about extending the metro rail from Miami to Miami Beach, and that would be a huge improvement for the city

[@StepsTowardstheLandofBuddha]

0:30 The Metromover looks like a great way to get around Miami

[@mikejewell8518]

Great Video

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks!

[@JoeHusosky]

Frequency and number of stations is key. Miami, hot, muggy and rainy with open air stations and the frequency of sideways rain you really can't wait around often for trains 😁

[@johnalder6028]

Well done, really showed Miami off very well !

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks!

[@patrickpirzer4080]

The Miami Metromover is an Innovia APM (Automated People Mover) system - formerly made by Bombardier Mobility, since autumn 2021 by Alstom. These APMs can be found at many airports. Per example the LAX Airport People Mover Train (Los Angeles Airport).

[@himbourbanist]

Great example of how a People Mover can supplement a Metro rail system for "final mile" transit. Honestly with the scale of the infrastructure for this system, I could see it running with longer trains with higher capacity to make it more like a mini metro, or honestly almost like a mini version of the Chicago El

[@Thom-TRA]

A baby L

[@gamewarrior010]

The original plan was to build them in conjunction with the Heavy/Regional rail Great society metros. You would drive to your local metro station then take the Metro downtown and transfer to the downtown people mover for the last mile . Then unfortunately the only cities that wanted them were Jacksonville, Detroit, and Miami. Miami is the only city that built the heavy rail counterpart.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@gamewarrior010 ugh if only Detroit got a metro like DC or BART

[@gamewarrior010]

@@Thom-TRA I know right it would be a fundamentally different city

[@davidaldinger113]

What would really be great to see would be your bucket list so we could all anticipate what systems we could look forward to seeing.

[@Normalaatsra]

Just had a look at the city's rail network, this MetroMover is perfect for on-demand transport inside the CBD! It definitely should be expanded!

[@KMNKeyboardVault]

How much was the trip from Orlando to Miami on the Brightline? I’m taking it from Miami to Orlando one day and then back like a round-trip.

[@Thom-TRA]

It depends. There are tickets as low as 45 dollars, but most hover around the $80 mark.

[@Matf2023]

I rode it once while visiting Miami. Felt like I'm in 1920's sci-fi movie.

[@JoeHusosky]

I love the metromover. Whenever we go to events in downtown I park as far from the event that is serviced by the MM.

[@Thom-TRA]

Good idea!

[@SleepTrain456]

I've heard of Metromover, but I learned more about it! Now, I know there's a right way to make people movers: make them feeder routes that (in your words) "go where people want to go". If I ever come to Miami and ride this train, I'll be sure to film the front or back window of it. Thanks for the video!

[@Thom-TRA]

Going where people want to go is always a good bet!

[@yaush_]

Honestly a system like this would be great in smaller towns like Portland ME. the city has a very dense downtown and no viable way to get places faster than walking. This would be especially good to run over the casco bay bridge and over to a plaza with the main supermarket and onto the railway station. And then it could go a little further in either direction to a park and ride which would be enormously helpful considering a vast majority of the people in the city actually live in other parts of rural Maine and simply commute in for a job, the restaurants, or a hockey game. Of course BRT may be the more realistic option but one could argue the same for Miami.

[@Thom-TRA]

Sioux City, Iowa for example had an elevated railroad back in the 1890s. Before Chicago even, I believe. Sadly it never survived the early 20th century.

[@tone_bone]

the frequency is amazing. I would take that over large capacity any day.

[@marcussharpe9130]

Great video.

[@Thom-TRA]

Thank you!

[@PrimeTimeTravelers]

We've ridden this a few times after brightline rides to Miami. We plan to head back down to Miami and do a vlog of all 3 lines.

[@Thom-TRA]

You should!

[@MasonJarGaming]

Morgantown resident here! Excited to see your PRT video. Love seeing our little city represented.

[@Thom-TRA]

Any information I should not leave out?

[@MasonJarGaming]

@@Thom-TRA I have taken the time to type up my opinion on the PRT and a little bit of trivia. But it keeps failing to post. Perhaps it's too long, or maybe KZbin does not like a word I used. I broke the message into little piece to send one at a time (numbered so we can tell if any go missing). Hope ya enjoy!

[@MasonJarGaming]

1/4 I have a pro PRT opinion and I think most people in this area feel the same. It's great that students have a way to get between the campuses and dorms without having to worry about traffic or parking. But the system is not without it's flaws. It was clearly designed for students. With 4/5 station on WVU campus and the system being closed three months of the year (during the WVU's summer break), it's difficult for locals to utilize it for their needs. I also find the speed of the system disappointing. A lot of the PRT runs parallel to Mon Blvd. Which has a speed limit of 50mph (but people regularly drive 55 or even 60). The PRT has a max speed of 30 MPH. It saddens me to see the PRT get passed by busses. But at least the PRT does not have to navigate the chaos that occurs in front of the Mountain lair. (I'm exaggerating here it's usually pretty calm; just busy).

[@MasonJarGaming]

2/4 If you have not already I recommend looking up and watching a KZbin video called "A Ride of the Future, 1977". It was posted by "wvarchivesandhistory". It provides an interesting look into the early stages of the PRT. At the time of this video the system was only half complete. I'll admit, I was a little confused at first watching. In the video the "teaching hospital" (referring to J.W. Ruby) and the football stadium were not located in the same place as they currently are. And the faregates, control system, "collector arm" are all different than what is used today. In that video you can see them installing the communication loop. The gradual degrading of this part of the system was a major cause of the 2018 modernization project. Large portions of the communication loop had failed and repair efforts were struggling to keep up. If you go to the PRT Wikipedia page and open citation four then click on Master plan and navigate to page 36 there is some more info to read about this. There is also a nice graphic. I haven't seen anyone talk about this detail before.

[@MasonJarGaming]

3/4 The PRT has at least three manuals (possibly more) The first one is available for public viewing. It's a long, but interesting read. On the wiki page look at citation two to see it. Behind Woodburn Hall (near Brook Hall's bridge) looking up the the engineering science building makes good visual to demonstrate the distance and elevation change between WVU's campuses. Especially cool looking during fall. I emailed our bus agency, The Mountain Line, about two months ago about fares. I still patiently wait for their reply. My nosy self also email the WVU department of Transportation and Parking asking about 55 gallon drums they were storing on the closed side of the engineering station and they responded in just three days. (Drums were storing deicing chemicals by the way). WVU team is really passionate and clearly loves this system. I would reach out to them if you haven't already done so.

[@ishanjani9885]

Man I been on one of those before back in 2018 it was my first time visiting Miami and when I found out it’s free of charge to ride I was shocked great ride it was it was just dirty from outside and the lights were pretty old at that time and the elevator to go upstairs wasn’t that great

[@stickynorth]

Holy Ghost of Pittsburgh Skytrain! As a Western Canadian, I'm partial to the UTDC Skytrain technology that Vancouver (and Detroit) uses however rubber-tyred automated mini metro's are almost just as good and more need to be built if you ask me... Especially if you can deliver automated rapid transit at a fraction of the cost of a traditional automated metro which is sometime's the case...

[@Thom-TRA]

I like it when ghosts come back and actually do something useful!

[@londonwhaley8690]

I enjoyed that video👍👍

[@Thom-TRA]

Thanks!

[@Pravin_Yeshua_BTC]

This is so cool. Something out of Disney in real life

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah it’s kinda retro futuristic!

[@michaelformaini7053]

That is truly a quirky little system that obviously is successful. I shudder, however, at how much the infrastructure cost, even if it is of a lighter engineering style to a skyrail metro system (like Vancouver B.C.) or a heavy rail metro system. Down under in Melbourne we have many differing views on both sides of politics about the amount of money currently being spent on grade separation of road and rail, the soon-to-be open metro line augmenting the existing central downtown rail loop and the yet-to-be constructed suburban rail loop given current inflation and other more important spending issues for government spending. Thanks for another interesting insight into U.S. city transit. Cheers from Michael.🙂

[@timallardyce1216]

I rode it when I went to Miami for a water polo tournament back in 2017. It was the weirdest transit system I've ever taken. I don't remember where I went on it or how useful it was, so I'm interested to hear from locals how useful it is. It reminds me of the old Sydney monorail (I'm Australian), but from memory it was much more useful and cheaper

[@Thom-TRA]

You caught my interest when you say water polo tournament. That sounds cool!

[@timallardyce1216]

@Thom-TRA oh it wasn't the best tournament actually. Badly run. We came all the way from Melbourne, Australia for it & came last. Didn't win any games. I haven't gone to one of the international ones since, but my club sent a team to Guadalajara last year and came 4th, so now I wish I'd gone with them!

[@timallardyce1216]

@@williamerazo3921 only because it was several years ago.

[@FLECOM]

if you need to do something downtown (work, jury duty, special event etc) it's incredibly useful, saves you from having to pay exorbitant parking (parking can be as much as $100 during a Heat game for example) and absolutely horrifying traffic trying to get on/off the nearby highways (I-95, 836)

[@SamwiseHollis]

I know Los Angeles could use this system In their downtown area, and maybe having a second line extending to the San Fernando valley.

[@amc6508]

This wouldn't last a month in Los Angeles...

[@matthewivanjudeponciano1354]

Looks like LRT (people mover) in Singapore that transport people between HDB's. Serves as a good feeder

[@CricketThomas]

This is a neat system

[@Thom-TRA]

Yeah I like it!

[@rikkichunn8856]

I rode the people mover when I was in Miami a few years ago. Riding up front and watching the changing scene out the front window was spectacular; it was like the driver's view (except no driver). Cute? Well, the only thing that would make it cuter would be animals. Perhaps they could extend it through the zoo and it could race cheetahs or orangutans? 😉 Of course, they'd have to remember the motto about cheetahs: CHEETAHS NEVAH PROSPUH! 😂

[@caezartuazon6]

Ahh reminds me of the lrts back in Sg

[@davidaldinger113]

If you want to know of at least a couple of places that a people mover should go I would choose a line between Logan airport and the blue line. Another would be between BWI and the Amtrak BWI station.

[@Foxy_AR]

1:43 I wonder why only one of the door panels opened here?

[@Thom-TRA]

Probably broken lol

[@giandiaz610]

Do they check your bags on the Brightline ?

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes they do

[@PaulCashman]

Is there any rail transit directly to/from MIA airport?

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes, both the Metrorail and the commuter rail go to the airport

[@Knightmessenger]

​@Thom-TRA must be recent. In 2005 we had to drive from the airport to The U. Traffic sucked and I couldn't understand why a city with an extensive elevated rail didn't have an airport connection.

[@teecefamilykent]

Brilliant video sir! And without Lyndsey keeping an eye on you?

[@spaceandtrains-1441]

METROMOVER AND FIRST

[@sussy001]

In Singapore, we have the same thing as there But the ride is bumpier and the train looks a bit different even though it’s the same It’s called the Bukit Panjang lrt and it’s unreliable.

[@andrescorrea2425]

When i go to downtown I take the pepole mover, though i never knew it was that big extensive lol

[@h3living]

Los Angeles could use a people mover downtown. It had plans for one in the 1960/70’s and even some of the infrastructure was built including sky bridges, tunnels, and station locations like the roof of the LA World Trade Center.

[@Thom-TRA]

At least LA is finally making strides with their metro system

[@johnandrews23]

An interesting experiment, but long term it will be interesting to see if this system is cheaper than conventional steel rails and wheels....

[@Thom-TRA]

I mean they’re 40 years old and on the second generation of vehicles, with talk of expansion. I’m pretty optimistic.

[@xoxxobob61]

Miami already has a Heavy Rail Metro system and Metro Mover is the "final mile" transit option downtown.

[@bryanCJC2105]

Wow! 7 million rides a year over just 4.5 miles is incredible and higher than any of Chicago's bus lines (busiest bus line is #66 Chicago Ave line at 5 million/year in 2023)! I think the success of this line us due to 3 things you mentioned, frequency, close stations, and connections to Metrorail, meaning that you can get to the line from Metrorail, can be assured of getting on a train whenever you want, and that it will take you close to wherever you want to be throughout downtown. You don't have to worry about planning to use this line. The high frequencies means they don't need large vehicles. It's a great circulator as can be seen by the incredible ridership. A light rail line could not do this over the same routing.

[@Thom-TRA]

I appreciate that you put the numbers in context! I’m terrible at that

[@drgagaseell2100]

@Thom-TRA Hi TRA we have a similar people mover in Singapore and its called the LRT (Light Rail Transit). You should come to singapore one day and i will bring you for a ride and tell you bout the history of this LRT system in singapore.

[@Thom-TRA]

I actually lived in Singapore for a few months when I was a little kid! LRT probably didn’t exist yet back then

[@drgagaseell2100]

@@Thom-TRA oh i see. i'm from new york and i live in singapore for 30 years

[@drgagaseell2100]

The bukit panjang LRT in singapore was started in 6th of november 1999

[@alanzemsky7695]

Great review! Seems like it works on same type of concept as Chicago loop downtown area

[@Thom-TRA]

Except the Chicago loop is part of the actual transit system

[@alanzemsky7695]

Very true! 😅

[@GregSmith803]

Informative insight 🚊 Thank You for sharing

[@Thom-TRA]

You’re welcome!

[@uHnodnarB]

Does it use the same announcement system as MARTA? I swear the jingle noise sounds familiar to me

[@Thom-TRA]

Yes, same jingle!

[@jacobwhitecotton]

"coming soon" are you going to morgantown?

[@Thom-TRA]

Already been there!

[@MasonJarGaming]

@@Thom-TRA That great because today was the last day before the PRT's yearly summer closer/maintenance period.

[@peterwarner358]

Have you taken the Jacksonville Skyway

[@Thom-TRA]

Not yet

[@history_leisure]

If its working for Miami and want to see it grow, they should look in new trains at the same time and make sure the existing structure can support different rolling stock

[@miamihurricane555]

This is what the city/county is currently doing. Since last year the entire system is being overhauled to be expandable and for the train cars to work on the different loops. By next summer the work should be completed which will allow for the 3 planned expansions of the system. 1. East over the MacArthur Causeway to Miami Beach along 5th st. 2. North going over Miami Ave connecting Wynwood, Mid Town & the Design district. 3. West from government center station over Flagler st until 112 ave where it turns south until it reaches FIU (Florida Internacional University). The first expansion could be completed by 2030, the 2nd by 2035 and the 3rd by 2040.

[@SamSitar]

some metromover cars should do two of the three lines on some trips.

[@BoBandits]

Nice bus🚊👍🏽

[@pilotaburch172]

Do you think you review the Detroit people mover?

[@Thom-TRA]

I did a long time ago. I’ll go back someday. I usually go to the west side of Michigan.

[@pilotaburch172]

@@Thom-TRAoh I didn’t see that video

[@wbgookin]

Since there are no fare gates, how does Miami keep unhoused people from living on the trains? I didn't see any employees shooing people away in the video.

[@Thom-TRA]

I’m not sure

[@juliomarin7571]

There are generally cops at most stations and patrolling the trains. There are also no seats in the metro mover cabs.

[@onetruekeeper]

Free carnival ride.

[@fataman]

I'm going to ride this in GTA 6 🎉🎉🎉

[@robertrawley1115]

It looks like the area is all CBD. is there much in the way of residential on or near the line? Frequency is good but I don't think I heard you mention the hours of operation... Does it run 24 hours a day or just during the business day hours?

[@Thom-TRA]

Unfortunately I’m not too knowledgeable about Miami zoning, but I do believe there are many residential high-rises near downtown

[@apluto12-z3e]

There is a ton of residential along the line , but it's spread out in Brickell and the northern Omni Loop. Also check out the Miami World Center project that is being built near the Omni Loop. Metromover has actively contributed to the dedication of Downtown. Just look at pictures of Downtown before 2000 and you will see how much it has grown in the past 20 years or so

[@xoxxobob61]

Miami's CBD/Brickell population hovers around 80k+ now.

[@kevanhubbard9673]

The long term durability of things like that are a problem as when the company that made them folds spares become increasingly difficult to get hold of.

[@Thom-TRA]

Jacksonville is an example of that

[@canyonoverlook9937]

A bus maybe just as good as that especially if it had a dedicated bus lane.

[@bloodydamnhell]

MetroMover has already put in around 30 years of service, so it seems to be working fine.

[@bloodydamnhell]

​@@canyonoverlook9937Definitely not in downtown Miami. Street traffic was absurd even before all the new condo highrises sitting on top of 60 foot tall parking garages were built in the past 10 years or so.

[@Thom-TRA]

@@canyonoverlook9937 dedicated bus lanes are such a waste in my opinion. All that construction but no rail.

[@BenriBea]

I'm kinda surprised these aren't more common in CBDs across North America

[@Thom-TRA]

Downtowns are for driving big trucks and getting stuck in traffic, of course

[@senatorlainez]

I guess Siri is working 2 jobs now. Times are indeed tough!

[@Thom-TRA]

Being a disembodied voice, it’s hard for her to become a stripper or something

[@onetwothreeabc]

So why can't Atlanta beltline use similar technology?

[@Thom-TRA]

Because the distances are much larger

[@Alby_Torino]

when you see the front of the Brightline train, you say: wow finally the US are reaching the 21th century. then you realize that it's a diesel train... Well, it's better than nothing anyways. The US are slowly, very slowly, developing a modern public transport system with new train lines, streetcars and metros... Good job American friends!!!

[@Thom-TRA]

Yep, it’s basically an old British HST