Miami-Dade County Metromover Upgrade Project achieves major milestone - first fully renovated Mover car is delivered

This week, the Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) received the first fully upgraded Metromover vehicle, marking a major milestone for the Metromover Upgrade Project. Once completed, the system-wide upgrade will allow Metromover to move more riders in less time while making the system safer, smoother, and more reliable.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, County Commissioners Eileen Higgins and Keon Hardemon, and DTPW Director and CEO Eulois Cleckley, attended this afternoon’s delivery event, where a fully retrofitted car was hoisted onto track near the School Board Metromover station. The upgraded car will be used as a prototype to retrofit 26 other vehicles at DTPW’s maintenance facility.

“Miami-Dade is making historic investments in infrastructure across the county, including throughout our transit system. We’ve made repairs, improvements, and strengthened service on the Metromover system, but we’re excited to begin the systemwide upgrade our residents deserve, and it starts with this car,” said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “Along with safe neighborhoods, quality housing, and good jobs - everyone deserves a reliable transportation network that connects them to opportunity. With this project, we’re building a more future ready system that’s both resilient and reliable for residents and visitors alike.”        

Design work of the upgrade project for the entire Metromover system began in May 2021 and construction activities started in July 2022. The upgrade project includes the replacement of the operating system and associated guideway electrical components, refurbishment of the track switches, and a complete overhaul of the central control center.

“The upgraded Metromover system will not only make it better, it will also allow the County to expand the system to offer a one-seat ride to Miami Beach and the Design District in the future,” said Commissioner Eileen Higgins. “As we continue to expand and improve our transit system, this is another step in building efficient connections for residents, workers, and visitors all the way from Florida City to Miami Gardens through mass transit.”

The vehicle was shipped from the contractor’s facility out of state where the design of the retrofit package, installation of new components, and thorough testing of the vehicle were all completed.

“We have embarked on a historic investment that will make Miami-Dade County a leader in public transportation,” said Commissioner Keon Hardemon. “Our residents deserve a more reliable system. These enhancements should signal to everyone that we are committed to providing better connections, better services, and an overall better rider experience.  

The Mover car was also aesthetically enhanced with a colorful wrap, distinguishing each retrofitted vehicle from the full fleet. The fully upgraded Mover vehicle will serve as a prototype for the retrofit of the remaining 26 Mover vehicles at DTPW’s maintenance facility.

“With the delivery of the prototype vehicle, we are moving forward toward delivering a completely renovated people mover system that’s safer, cleaner, more efficient and better connected,” said Eulois Cleckley, DTPW Director and CEO. “We are aware that Metromover riders have experienced service disruptions and this is part of an aggressive approach to significantly improve and refurbish the system for better reliability and accessibility,.”

Benefits of the Metromover Upgrade Project for riders include:

• Improved system reliability to reduce service disruptions.
• Increased vehicle frequency which will reduce wait times.
• Compatibility for future expansion of the system.
• Increased service flexibility to move more riders in less time during special events.
• Ability to run loops in different directions when needed.
• Smoother operations, especially during braking and acceleration.

To minimize disruptions, system upgrades will be made over 24 months. Riders are encouraged to sign up for transit alerts at miamidade.gov/alerts or follow DTPW on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to stay up to date on schedule changes. Any scheduled loop closures and service adjustments will be proactively communicated on social media, station signage and at miamidade.gov/transit, in advance.

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Editor’s note: High resolution photos are available upon by contacting Luis Espinoza at 305-992-8122 or [email protected]