Miami-Dade officials announced plans Wednesday to extend the county's Metromover system to Miami Beach.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Eileen Higgins announced in a video posted to Twitter that the county threw out its previous plans for a Baylink monorail service, saying the Metromover expansion from downtown to Miami Beach is a more cost-effective solution.
“My administration is committed to providing our residents with innovative transit solutions that better connect residents to jobs and opportunity while delivering maximum value to taxpayers,” Levine Cava said in a statement. “I have always supported a one-seat ride for Baylink, and I’m proud that we are now moving forward with a seamless extension of the Metromover to provide the best experience to residents and visitors at a significantly lower cost.”
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
County commissioners approved an interim agreement back in 2020 for a monorail system connecting Miami to Miami Beach.
“When monorail was first proposed, the previous administration presented it as a solution that could save hundreds of millions of dollars over Metromover. In the recent negotiations, however, the price ballooned to $1.3 billion,” Higgins said in a statement. “We now believe we can get what the residents want – a one-seat ride between downtown and the Beach by extending our existing Metromover – at a lower cost. That’s why we’ve decided expanding the Metromover is the best option.”
Construction is expected to begin in 2025, and officials anticipate operations to begin in 2029.
