Transportation in South Florida

The Miami metropolitan area made up of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, known together as South Florida, has many ways for people to get around. There are trains like Metrorail and Tri-Rail, as well as a special train called the Metromover. There are also many roads, two big airports (Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport), and ports like the Port of Miami and Port Everglades. Buses such as Metrobus, Broward County Transit, and Palm Tran help people travel all over the area.

Miami has more people using public transportation than any other city in Florida. Most of these services are run by Miami-Dade Transit, the largest transit system in Florida.

South Florida is a crowded place with over five and a half million people living in a relatively small area. Because there is limited space and many people, getting around can be tricky. The area is spread out, making it hard for public transportation to connect everyone to where they need to go.

Overview

Transport in South Florida mainly uses roads and highways, including special roads called toll roads. The area grew because of trains a long time ago, but now many people drive cars. There is a train system called Metrorail in Miami-Dade County, which is the only heavy rail system in Florida. It was built after people asked for better ways to travel instead of adding more highways. Another train system, Tri-Rail, runs west of the big cities to help with traffic on Interstate 95.

South Florida has many buses and two rail systems. There are also many toll roads with special lanes that can cost more during busy times. Even with new roads being built, traffic remains very heavy.

Miami has a busy airport called Miami International Airport (MIA), which is very important for the city's economy. It connects to the Metrorail through a special train called the MIA Mover. The number of people using public transport and flying changes with the seasons, being higher in the winter.

Road transportation

Miami-Dade County has many wide highways. The main road running north to south is Interstate 95. Together with the Palmetto Expressway, these are the busiest roads in South Florida.

Interstate 95 has three smaller roads branching off to the east and west. These include I-395 and I-195 in Miami-Dade County and Interstate 595 in Broward County. These roads connect to important places like South Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

In Broward County, north of Miami, Interstate 595 links Interstate 95 to Fort Lauderdale. To the west, it becomes known as Alligator Alley and ends at Interstate 75, which runs north through the whole state of Florida.

Many roads meet at a busy junction called the Golden Glades Interchange near North Miami Beach. Some highways have special lanes called express lanes where drivers pay a toll to use them.

Miami’s streets are laid out in a grid, making it easy to find your way around. Most roads follow this pattern, but some areas like Coral Gables and Hialeah have their own street layouts. There are also many bridges called causeways that connect different parts of the city over water.

Taxis are common in Miami, especially near tourist spots like airports and South Beach. There are also car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft available in the city.

Underground parking

In South Florida, it is unusual to build underground spaces like parking because the land is very close to sea level and the water is often just below the surface. However, some places do have underground parking. For example, Downtown Dadeland, built in 2005, and Brickell City Centre, finished in 2016, both have underground parking. Even though building underground costs more, some cities now prefer it to make streets look nicer and control traffic better.

Aviation

South Florida has three big airports: Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, and Palm Beach International Airport. There are also smaller airports like Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, Opa-Locka Executive Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, and Boca Raton Airport.

Miami International Airport is the main airport for the area. It is very busy and offers flights from many airlines to cities around the world. The airport has taxis, buses, and a train station to help people get around. There is also a special free bus service called the MIA Mover that connects the airport to other transportation options.

Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport is another large airport nearby. It connects to train services with shuttle buses and has major road links. Palm Beach International Airport serves the Palm Beach area and is easy to reach by car from several main roads.

Main article: Miami International Airport

Main article: MIA Mover

Main article: Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport

Main article: Palm Beach International Airport

Water transportation

The whole area of South Florida lies along the Atlantic Ocean. It has three important ports: PortMiami in Miami-Dade, Port Everglades in Broward County, and Port of Palm Beach in Palm Beach County.

PortMiami is the world’s busiest place for cruise ships. It is also a big place for cargo ships. It sits on Dodge Island near downtown Miami. A big tunnel helps connect the port to main roads.

Port Everglades, in Fort Lauderdale, is almost as busy as PortMiami for both cruise ships and cargo. It is home to some of the largest cruise ships in the world, like the Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

South Florida also has many places for boats, with lots of marinas and waterways. The Miami River runs through downtown Miami and connects to more marinas. Fort Lauderdale has many canals. Biscayne Bay is a popular spot for fun activities like fishing and kayaking. There are also tours on water taxis along the coast.

Main article: PortMiami Main article: Port Everglades

Public transportation

Miami-Dade Transit runs most public transport in Miami-Dade County. This includes Metrorail, Metromover, Metrobus, and special help for people who need it. In Broward County and Palm Beach County, most people use buses from Broward County Transit and Palm Tran.

South Florida has many buses, trains, and other ways to travel. Miami has more people using public transport than any other city in Florida. Tri-Rail is a train that connects Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. There are also many bus systems, like Metrobus in Miami-Dade, Broward County Transit in Broward, and Palm Tran in Palm Beach.

The shape of South Florida makes it hard to plan easy ways for everyone to get around. The area is long and narrow, which makes it tricky to plan train and bus routes. Miami grew a lot when cars were very popular, so many people still like to drive. But more people are now starting to use public transport.

Rail transportation

Miami-Dade County has two important rail lines: the state-owned South Florida Rail Corridor and the Florida East Coast Railway. The area uses a commuter rail system called Tri-Rail, which travels through Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. There were plans for a government-funded Florida high speed rail system, but this plan was cancelled.

In 2014, construction began on a higher-speed rail system named Brightline, which now connects Miami and Orlando. The Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project aims to add commuter rail between MiamiCentral and Aventura.

Intercity and higher-speed services

Amtrak

Miami is the southern end of Amtrak’s Atlantic Coast services, with two lines ending in Chicago and New York City. The Miami Amtrak Station is in Hialeah near the Tri-Rail/Metrorail Station.

There are five other Amtrak stations in the area: Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, and West Palm Beach. Most of these stations share space with Tri-Rail.

Tri-Rail

Main article: Tri-Rail

Tri-Rail is a commuter rail system with 18 stations. It runs through Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties, ending at Miami International Airport. Tri-Rail has six zones, and fares range from US$2.50 to US$11.55. In 2015, Tri-Rail moved its southern end to a new station. In 2024, Tri-Rail started running trains between the Metrorail Transfer station and MiamiCentral.

Brightline

Main article: Brightline

See also: Florida high speed rail

Plans for a Florida High Speed Rail system were cancelled. In 2012, a privately owned higher-speed rail system called Brightline was proposed. Construction began in 2014, and service started in 2018. The line to MiamiCentral opened in 2018, and extensions to Orlando International Airport began in 2023. Future plans include extending the rail to Tampa.

Bicycling

Miami-Dade County and South Florida have many popular bike routes. In the 2000s, the city government supported bicycling for fun and getting around. They started an event called "Bike Miami" where streets were closed for people to walk and ride bikes. This event began in 2008 and grew quickly.

Miami also made plans for more bike paths and required bike parking in new buildings. In 2012, a new bridge was added to connect bike paths, creating a long off-road trail for bikes and walking. Miami Beach also became more friendly to bikes, with a bike-sharing program called DecoBike starting in 2011. The program includes many stations with bikes for people to rent.

Walkability

Miami is a nice city for walking. It has many restaurants, shops, and places to visit that are close together.

Walking in Miami can sometimes be unsafe because some drivers are not very careful. The city is trying to make it safer by adding special crosswalks with lights and signs. Popular places to walk include South Beach, especially Lincoln Road, which is now just for pedestrians, and the beautiful oceanfront paths with shops and restaurants.

Transit-oriented development (TOD)

More homes and shops are being built close to places where people get on and off buses and trains. Two examples are at Brownsville and Santa Clara. These stations are not used by many people.

The Brownsville Transit Village will have 467 homes and shops next to Brownsville station. Santa Clara Apartments opened in 2011 near Santa Clara station. After that, more people started using these stations.

Plans for a Miami MLS stadium and maybe a University of Miami football stadium need to be close to Miami’s center and easy to reach by bus or train. The place chosen is the now-closed Melreese Golf Course in Grapeland Heights.

The Miami Intermodal Center will be near Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park. It will open in 2026. A footbridge over the Tamiami Canal will connect the station to the stadium.

In the 1980s, buildings were built near the MetroMover and Metrorail systems. Both connect on the north side of Stephen P. Clark Government Center. The Knight Center Metromover station is inside the Miami Tower. Another place, the Omni International Mall, is connected to the Adrienne Arsht Center station by a bridge people can walk across.

The busy suburb of Kendall grew up around the Metrorail stations of Dadeland North and Dadeland South. These stations opened in 1984.

Metromover

During a time when many new homes were being built in the 2000s, nearly 50 new buildings went up in the greater downtown area. This, along with no fare for the Metromover, brought more people to use it. Two big projects are adding Metromover stations for easier access. Brickell City Centre closed the Eighth Street Station in 2014 to include it in their project; Miami Worldcenter might add stations at the Freedom Tower and Park West.

Many tall buildings are being built in downtown because rules allow it. Real estate developers pay money for building big, and this money helps improve public areas. Rules from 1998 helped Kendall grow near the Dadeland South Metrorail station. The Loft/The Loft 2 and Centro Lofts are big buildings that don’t need to have as much parking because they are close to trains. Downtown and Brickell are sometimes compared to New York City because they are crowded, have many places to visit, and many ways to travel.

Future proposals and extensions

Many transportation systems, like highways, have been suggested, especially in Miami-Dade County, but some were stopped because of money problems. In the 1970s, people in Miami-Dade County voted to support public transit instead of highways. Building more heavy rail (Metrorail) costs a lot of money—about $100–200 million per mile. Plans for new toll roads and wider highways continued from the late 2010s into the early 2020s.

See also: Orange Line (MDT)

The Orange Line was a big idea for three new Metrorail lines. One would go north to the Broward–Miami-Dade county line, another would go east–west to Florida International University, and a third would connect to Miami International Airport. Only a short part to the airport from the Earlington Heights station, called the AirportLink, was finished in 2012. The other two parts were stopped, mainly because of money problems.

Although only a small part of the Orange Line was built, the whole line from the airport to Dadeland South is now called the Orange Line, along with the Green Line. This is because trains going to the airport will travel all the way to Dadeland South.

The "Coastal Link" is a long-planned project to move or expand Tri-Rail service to the Florida East Coast Railway freight line. This would bring it closer to people and could bring many passengers each day. It would also go straight into Downtown Miami, ending near the Government Center transit hub. The plan also suggests extending service north to Jupiter. However, the line would need big upgrades. It’s not clear if Tri-Rail would keep its current line or not. The state is thinking about letting private companies run Tri-Rail. An east–west connection between the lines would make South Florida’s commuter rail system much better.

Plans for a Tri-Rail "Coastal Link" came up again with the building of Brightline (now Virgin Trains USA) in 2014. One idea was to reroute trains from the Midtown area to downtown Miami. Another idea was to build six new stations between downtown Miami and Aventura. These plans slowed down because of money issues.

BayLink is a long-proposed streetcar, light rail, or Metrorail extension that would connect Downtown Miami to South Beach via the MacArthur Causeway. Miami Beach city officials preferred a streetcar instead of a light rail because they thought it would be less noticeable. In 2014, they were thinking about a way to fund it with help from private companies.

In 2016, a new plan called the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) expansion plan was introduced. It talked about six areas that need better transit lines. In 2025, the first line built under this plan, the South Dade Transitway, opened to the public.

Several ideas for street cars and local bus routes have been suggested for Miami’s Downtown/Brickell/CBD/Arts & Entertainment District area. A notable idea is a streetcar line down Biscayne Boulevard from Downtown to the Arts & Entertainment District. Miami had streetcars since 1906, but they were removed after the 1926 Miami Hurricane.

Fort Lauderdale had plans in 2011 for a small downtown streetcar system called The Wave Streetcar. After delays and problems, the project was stopped in 2018.

In 2011, a study was suggested to see if building a Metromover extension to the PortMiami would work. This would create a direct link from Miami International Airport to the seaport. In 2014, a Metromover connection to the port was still being thought about.

There have also been ideas to improve connections to Port Everglades, including the long-term plan for the Wave Streetcar. In the 2000s and 2010s, road access to the port via I-595 was improved.

There is a plan to extend the Dolphin Expressway further west and south, with Krome Avenue being the main road used. This plan has been controversial because it would go through rural areas and near a sensitive environment. The project started widening Krome Avenue in 2015.

Geography

The Miami area is longer than it is wide. It is between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Everglades wetlands to the west. Because of this, new buildings are being built closer together, especially near places where people can use public transportation.

Hurricanes can be a problem for Miami and the east coast of the United States. Miami could lose money if a big storm hits. The city might also be affected by rising sea levels. Some areas, like Miami Beach, already flood during certain times of the year. The city is working on projects to help protect against this, like building taller sea walls and adding pumps to move water away. Other cities in the area are also finding ways to deal with flooding. With many people living near the coast, there are questions about how safe it is to keep building in areas that could be affected by rising seas in the future.

See also: Draining and development of the Everglades

Politics

The region, like the rest of the state, often prefers lower taxes and less government spending. In Miami-Dade, many people from Cuba tend to support right-wing politics. Even though South Florida is seen as a liberal area, only a third of people there feel they live in a liberal area.

At the state level, there isn’t much support for public transportation projects. Most planning for transit happens at the city or county level, with Miami-Dade County being very active in transportation planning. Because of this, there is a focus on private infrastructure like highways. While highways can bring in money for the state, public transit systems like Metrorail and Metromover often face financial challenges.

There have been issues with trust in government in South Florida, partly because of political corruption and broken promises.

History

See also: Interurban, Tram, and History of Miami

Miami and nearby areas had many ways to travel long ago, especially in the 1920s. The first electric streetcar began around 1906, and more came later. These streetcars stopped in the 1930s after a big storm in 1935 and when buses became popular.

Now, Miami has many buses and trains to help people move around the city. Since 2006, there have been ideas to bring back streetcars using smaller, flexible vehicles.

Selected images

Four-level [Dolphin—Palmetto Interchange](/wiki/Dolphin—Palmetto_Interchange) under construction in early 2015

The headquarters of [Miami-Dade Transit](/wiki/Miami-Dade_Transit), known as the Overtown Transit Village, is next to the [Historic Overtown-Lyric Theater](/wiki/Historic_Overtown-Lyric_Theater) [Metrorail](/wiki/Metrorail_\(Miami\)) station, but still has a large parking garage.

Traffic in Downtown Miami can get busy because of trucks leaving the port. The [Port Miami Tunnel](/wiki/Port_Miami_Tunnel) helped with this.

[The Loft 2](/wiki/The_Loft_2) condominium was built near the [First Street](/wiki/First_Street_\(Metromover_station\)) Metromover station and does not have parking there.

Metrorail tracks go over Metromover tracks at Government Center

The Miami Intermodal Center being built in December 2011

[Critical Mass](/wiki/Critical_Mass_\(cycling\)) Miami meeting in [Government Center](/wiki/Government_Center_\(Miami\))

[MetroPath](/wiki/MetroPath) bridge over the Snapper Creek Expressway entrance, finished in January 2012

The southernmost part of [Interstate 95](/wiki/Interstate_95_in_Florida) near Downtown Miami can get very busy.