A city centre is the commercial , cultural and often the historical, political , and geographic heart of a city . The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English , and closely equivalent terms that exist in other languages, such as " centre-ville " in French, Stadtzentrum in German, or shìzhōngxīn ( 市中心 ) in Chinese. In the United States , the term " downtown " is generally used, though a few cities, like Philadelphia , use the term "Center City" or "City Center".
119-680: Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami , Florida , United States. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District , Brickell , the Historic District , Government Center , the Arts & Entertainment District , and Park West . It is divided by the Miami River and is bordered by Midtown Miami 's Edgewater , and Wynwood sections to its north, Biscayne Bay to its east,
238-572: A 9–0 vote, with a station at Miami-Dade College being added to Phase I of the project alongside the terminus at Hard Rock Stadium. Infrastructure design firm HNTB was designated to design the future extension whilst being given $ 44 million in funding by the TMP Committee. A Project Development and Environment Study is also being done by the Florida Department of Transportation in parallel to HNTB's design work in order to accelerate
357-1073: A PIN or billing zip code, which led to credit card thieves putting high dollar values on Easy Cards and selling them at a discounted rate for cash. Miami-Dade Transit initially mitigated this issue by limiting credit card transactions to three per day and a value limit of $ 112, and later by requiring zip code verification for all cards. From 2009 to 2011, free Wi-Fi was added to Metrorail and Metromover cars and stations, as well as certain Metrobus routes. Starting July 28, 2012, Metrorail increased service along shared Green and Orange Line stations from Dadeland South to Earlington Heights. Along this stretch of shared track, trains arrive every 5 minutes during peak hours, every 7 minutes during mid-day hours, and every 15 minutes late nights and on weekends. At stations with only one service, trains arrive every 10 minutes during weekday rush hours, every 15 minutes at midday, and every 15–30 minutes after 6 p.m. until midnight with weekend service running every 30 minutes. On weekends,
476-585: A cost of $ 55,887,830. In June 1983, the first segment of Metrorail, 10 stations from Dadeland South to Overtown (now "Historic Overtown/ Lyric Theatre ") was completed with the construction of the Miami River Bridge. Revenue operation commenced on May 20, 1984, with 125,000 taking the free first-day service from Pinecrest /Dadeland to Overtown. In 1984 Rockne Krebs created an urban-scale neon sculpture multicolored light installation called The Miami Line that stretches 1,540 feet (470 m) across
595-483: A custom rail-car building facility in Medley, Florida. The cars are semi-permanently attached in married pairs , and joined up to form 4-car trains, which is the normal train length, although 6-car trains are also possible. Included amenities are free Wi-Fi, interior bicycle racks, improved announcement systems, digital signs and high-efficiency air conditioning units. Metrorail formerly used 136 heavy-rail cars (known as
714-542: A decade, among the fastest population growth rates in the United States. Within a year of the study, county residents approved a $ 132.5 million ($ 965.1 million, adjusted for current inflation) bond dedicated to transit, with additional funding approved by the Florida Legislature for transit which, up until that time, operated solely on fare revenue. In 1976, with preliminary engineering completed for
833-459: A fare-paying rider, with a limit of 3. Ticket vending machines (TVMs) that sell Easy Cards and Easy Tickets are found in all rail stations. All Miami-Dade senior citizens aged 65 years and older and with Social Security benefits, and veterans residing in Miami-Dade and earning less than $ 22,000 annually ride free with the reduced fare monthly Easy Card. All of the stations except the five in
952-473: A goal of starting construction in 2024 with aid from federal funds. The extension will be built in two phases: Phase I would see the extension built up to Hard Rock Stadium with just one station, while Phase II would see more stations built on the elevated line as well as transit-oriented developments built alongside it. On January 9, 2023, the expedition of this extension's design was approved by Miami-Dade County's Transportation, Mobility and Planning Committee on
1071-495: A large garage that was formerly dedicated to Metrorail riders. However, that is now used by the county due to the station's low ridership, with only 95 vehicle spaces currently available. The successful Dadeland garages are at or over capacity, with two of Metrorail's proposed extensions, the West Kendall Corridor and South Link, intended to help alleviate them. The two northernmost stations, which are located near
1190-513: A newly created 16-station Orange Line between the MIA and Dadeland South stations. The new line has helped increase ridership significantly, adding millions of riders per year and allowing residents and visitors alike direct access from MIA to Downtown Miami , as well as greater connectivity between various modes of transit throughout Miami-Dade County. The station provides direct service to Tri-Rail commuter rail , Greyhound Lines intercity bus, and
1309-629: A population of 39,176 residents, with 15,333 households in 1990 with an average of 2.2 residents per household, 17,130 households in 2000 with a household average of 2.1, and 33,600 households in 2009 with a household average of 2.0 residents. By 2014, the population of Downtown is expected to grow to 85,000 with 42,400 households. The median household income was $ 29,396 in 2000 and $ 40,180 in 2009. The zip codes for Downtown include 33128, 33130, 33131, and 33132. The area covers 2.117 square miles (5.48 km). As of 2000, there were 6,451 males and 4,792 females. The median age for males were 34.5 years old, while
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#17327832502441428-487: A reloadable card. The final station to start fare gate installation was Government Center on August 2, 2009. Since the system launch on October 1, 2009, all passengers using Metrorail must use either an Easy Card or Easy Ticket to enter stations. For almost the full first year of use, the Easy Card ticket vending machines allowed anyone to purchase thousands of dollars worth of Easy Cards by credit card without entering
1547-544: A top design speed of over 70 mph (110 km/h). Each car can hold up to 166 passengers (76 seated, 90 standing), and draw power from an electric 750 V DC third rail . The Miami-Dade County Government was working with the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust (CITT) to receive money from the half-penny sur-tax approved by voters in 2002 in order to purchase new Metrorail cars. MDT later planned to refurbish
1666-532: A vital component of the People's Transportation Plan (PTP), which Miami-Dade voters approved in 2002. The bulk of the funding for the $ 506 million project came from the plan's half-penny tax, with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) contributing $ 101.3 million. Construction commenced in May 2009, and service on the new Orange Line began on July 28, 2012, with the project completed on time and under budget. At
1785-602: A widened right of way, elevated crossings at major intersections, as well as the possibility of building one additional Metrorail station at SW 104 Street to alleviate traffic and parking in Dadeland. In 2009, the Metropolitan Planning Organization proposed that the busway be opened to regular vehicle traffic by adding a SunPass toll system with the profits going towards busway improvements. The proposal did not pass. The South Link, now known as
1904-648: Is a major east–west road in Miami named after the tycoon; the Julia Tuttle Causeway , crossing Biscayne Bay just north of Downtown in Edgewater , is named in honor of Tuttle. As of 2009, there are approximately 71,000 year-round residents in Greater Downtown (including Downtown's Brickell , Park West , and Arts & Entertainment District neighborhoods), with close to 200,000 populating
2023-655: Is a popular alternative to walking in the area, especially on rainy, hot or cold days, as the Metromover is free, and stations are located roughly every two blocks throughout the area. Recently, the City of Miami, along with the Downtown Development Authority, has begun bicycle initiatives promoting citywide bike parking and bike lanes , that have made bicycling much more popular for residents. Bike lanes and bike sharrows are currently planned for
2142-593: Is currently composed of two lines of 23 stations on 24.4 miles (39.3 km) of standard gauge track. Metrorail serves the urban core of Miami, connecting Miami International Airport , the Health District , Downtown Miami , and Brickell with the northern developed neighborhoods of Hialeah and Medley to the northwest, and to suburban The Roads , Coconut Grove , Coral Gables , and South Miami , ending at urban Dadeland in Kendall . Metrorail connects to
2261-678: Is located near Historic Overtown/Lyric Theater station in Downtown Miami . The headquarters of Miami-Dade Transit, also located next to Historic Overtown/Lyric Theater station, is known as the Overtown Transit Village. Brownsville Transit Village, opening in March 2012, was visited by the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Lisa P. Jackson , on January 5, 2012, to tour
2380-566: Is located next to the Arsht Center at the Adrienne Arsht Center Station . As an urban and pedestrian-friendly area with an extensive public transit network, Downtown (along with Brickell , the Arts & Entertainment District , and South Beach ) is one of the areas in Miami where a car-free lifestyle is commonplace. Many Downtown residents get around by foot, bicycle, Metromover or by taxi. The Metromover
2499-453: Is the historical city centre and the cultural and commercial centre. Historically, the CBD often occupied one portion of the city centre. In recent years, larger cities have often developed CBDs or financial districts that occupy a part of the city centre or are outside the historical city centre completely. For example, Beijing's historical city centre is defined by the former city walls and remains
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#17327832502442618-457: Is where a variety of jeweled products are sold and is one of the three jewelry districts in the United States. It comprises four city blocks, bounded by North Miami Avenue , Northeast Second Avenue, East Flagler Street and Northeast Second Streets. Shoppers can find designer jewelry, precious stones , and gold and silver items at street level in various retail jewelry stores. The Jewelry District can be accessed by public transportation through
2737-491: Is widely used to refer to the city centre, but usage of the term "City Centre" is increasing, especially in Melbourne . In South Africa , "CBD" is used in formal contexts, but in informal contexts, the city centre is referred to as "town", and despite the growth of decentralised CBDs such as Sandton and uMhlanga "town" continues to refer to the original CBDs of cities. In many cities, the Central Business District (CBD)
2856-402: Is within the city centre, but the concept "city centre" differs from the CBD. The concept of the "CBD" revolves solely around economic and financial power, but the "city centre" also includes historical, political, and cultural factors. A clear example is Paris : La Défense is the central business district of Paris , but it is not the city centre. In most larger and/or older cities, the CBD and
2975-748: The Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) corridor, which runs along the region's densest neighborhoods, parallel to Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, and Federal Highway in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Tri-Rail service on the FEC line would bring Tri-Rail to Downtown's transit hub, Government Center Station , connecting Downtown directly to Midtown Miami / Miami Design District , Upper East Side / Miami Shores , North Miami , North Miami Beach / Aventura , Downtown Hollywood , and Downtown Fort Lauderdale . Currently, rail commuters must transfer onto
3094-570: The Health District and Overtown to its west, and Coconut Grove to its south. Downtown Miami is the core of the Miami metropolitan area , the nation's ninth-largest and world's 34th-largest metropolitan area with a population of 6.158 million people. Within Downtown Miami, Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Boulevard are the main north–south roads, and Flagler Street is the main east–west road. The Downtown Miami perimeters are defined by
3213-585: The Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre station . By the late 2000s recession , it was realized that only the 2.4-mile (3.9 km) AirportLink of the Orange Line would be funded, and after service cuts in 2008, Metrorail was running fewer trains than before the tax was passed. In response to all this, The Miami Herald published a comprehensive exposé titled "Taken For A Ride, How the transit tax went off track", detailing all of
3332-655: The Metromover and Metrorail . Brickell is south of the Miami River, and is a mixed upper-class residential neighborhood as well as Miami's major financial district along Brickell Avenue . The Shops at Mary Brickell Village , Brickell City Center, and Simpson Park are located within Brickell. Brickell is directly served by the Miami Metrorail at Brickell Station , and by five Metromover stations on
3451-538: The Metromover in Downtown, which provides metro service to the entirety of Downtown and Brickell . Additionally, it connects to South Florida's commuter rail system at Tri-Rail station , as well as Metrobus routes at all stations. In 2023, the system had 13,439,300 rides, and about 49,300 per day in the third quarter of 2024. In 2012, Metrorail opened its 23rd station, Miami International Airport station , at Miami International Airport (MIA), beginning service on
3570-850: The Metromover stops running. Taxis can be hailed on the street, or phoned. Downtown is home to many companies, corporations and organizations. Downtown has about 20 million square feet (1,900,000 m) of office space, and is the central financial and business hub of South Florida . Some private companies with headquarters in Downtown are Akerman LLP , Arquitectonica , Espírito Santo Financial Group , Florida Justice Institute , Greenberg Traurig , Holland & Knight , Macy's Florida , Miami Herald , Miami Today , Shutts & Bowen , Terremark Worldwide , Vector Group , World Property Channel, and Zyscovich Architects. Sanford Group Company and Sanford Fiduciary Investor Services, Inc., and LTU International had headquarters in Downtown. Public organizations with their main offices in Downtown include,
3689-557: The Metrorail in Hialeah to get to Downtown. Miami's Downtown Development Authority along with Miami-area politicians are actively lobbying to bring Tri-Rail to the city core. Taxis are popular in Downtown, especially from Downtown to South Beach , Design District or to Coconut Grove . Since many Downtown residents choose to not have cars, taxis are also popular for rides within Downtown neighborhoods, especially after midnight when
Greater Downtown Miami - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-415: The Miami building boom of the first decade of the 21st century, 23,628 condominium and apartments were built in numerous high-rise towers that quickly transformed the city. Over 85% of these apartments are now occupied as of early 2011. It is estimated that about 550 new residents move to Downtown every month. Renters make up 56% of the residents in Downtown. In July 2011, Downtown's office vacancy rate
3927-734: The Palmetto Expressway , Palmetto and Okeechobee, appeal to Broward County commuters with nearly 2,000 combined spaces. Additionally, the proposed North Corridor to the Broward /Miami-Dade county line would have included five park and ride facilities totaling 2,650 spaces. In the late 1990s, the plan was to potentially even continue the Metrorail line into Broward County along 27th Avenue (University Drive), ending at Broward Boulevard near Broward Mall in Plantation . After
4046-641: The Rental Car Center . In 1964 the Miami Urban Area Transportation Study was initiated by the Dade County metropolitan planning organization . It was completed in 1971 and recommended the construction for a rapid transit system for Greater Miami. Having experienced a prolonged post- World War II population boom, metropolitan Dade County's permanent population rose by 35% to nearly 1.3 million residents within
4165-526: The United States , the term " downtown " is commonly used to denote a city centre, and in Canada the terms "city centre" and "downtown" are used interchangeably, most notable in the modern, purpose-built cores of former boroughs or newer suburban cities that had no traditional urban core (i.e. North York City Centre and Mississauga City Centre ). In Australia , the term " Central Business District "
4284-631: The Universal Transit Vehicle ) built by the Budd Company under the name "Transit America"; they are identical to those used on the Baltimore Metro SubwayLink (save for the modifications made to Baltimore's cars during their refurbishment between 2002 and 2005), as the two systems were built at the same time, and the two agencies were able to save money by sharing a single order. The Baltimore-Miami order
4403-756: The automated Metromover train system runs three lines (the Downtown Loop, the Omni Loop, and the Brickell Loop) with 22 stations throughout Downtown. The Metromover is a free service and stations can be found at roughly every two blocks in Downtown and Brickell. Downtown Miami is served by Metrobus throughout the area, the Miami Metrorail , and the Metromover : Metrorail: Metromover: Metrorail has stops throughout Miami with connections to Miami International Airport , all Metrobus lines, Tri-Rail and Amtrak . The main bus station in Downtown
4522-712: The county seat of Miami-Dade County, Downtown is home to the central offices and departments of the Miami-Dade County government, mainly located in the Government Center area. The Stephen P. Clark Government Center is the central headquarters of Miami-Dade government with the offices of the Miami-Dade Mayor. Although city hall for the City of Miami is in Coconut Grove , many offices of Miami's city government are in Downtown, including
4641-743: The right-of-way along US 1 to Miami-Dade Transit, then named the Metro Transit Agency. Groundbreaking for the system the county commission voted to be named "Metrorail" (working name was DART - Dade Area Rapid Transit) took place at the site of what would become University station in June. Construction began in December 1980 with placing of a double-tee guideway girder near the University of Miami . The entire original 21 mi (34 km) line contained 2,704 girders, constructed at
4760-429: The third greatest concentration of high-rises in the United States and is home to many major museums, parks, education centers, banks, company headquarters, courthouses, government offices, theaters, shops and many of the oldest buildings in the city. Downtown Miami is the historic heart of Miami . Along with Coconut Grove , Downtown Miami is the oldest settled area of Miami, with early pioneer settlement dating to
4879-403: The 1989 local government reform which changed the population threshold for city status to 50,000. Metrorail (Miami) Metrorail is a rapid transit system in Miami and Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida . Metrorail is operated by Miami-Dade Transit (MDT), a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County. Opened in 1984, it is Florida's only rapid transit metro system, and
Greater Downtown Miami - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-423: The 19th century. Today, it is still Downtown's major shopping street, with Florida's flagship Macy's (formerly Burdines ) on Flagler Street and Miami Avenue from 1912 to 2018, as well as Miami's own local department stores: La Época, on Flagler and SE 2nd Av; Alberto Cortes, on Flagler and SE 3rd Av. Flagler Street is also home to many well-known and established jewelers , many of whom have been in Downtown since
5117-516: The 2.4 mile AirportLink and Orange Line remained promised and realized. The credibility of Miami-Dade Transit and the county as a whole, including the validity of their ridership estimates and revenue forecasts, has been a significant impediment to their qualifications for funding under the Federal Transit Administration 's (FTA) approval. In 2011, Miami-Dade Transit underwent a serious federal investigation and takeover by
5236-690: The 24-hour Metrorail service cancelled due to a lack of ridership. Construction on the first segment of the Orange Line, Metrorail's AirportLink began in May 2009; service to Miami International Airport began in the summer of 2012. On August 21, 2019, Miami-Dade Transit launched contactless payments acceptance on the Metrorail which enabled transit riders to use their smartphone devices (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), as well as smart watches (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay) to tap and go at all stations. Fare gates were updated instead of replaced to save money. Currently Miami-Dade Transit doesn't allow Express Transit Mode on iOS. The company behind
5355-676: The 490-unit development, which will save an estimated five million gallons of water and $ 50,000 annually in utility bills due to environmentally sustainable plumbing fixtures. Nonetheless, by 2016, Brownsville and Santa Clara were still the lowest ridership stations, the only ones to regularly post ridership numbers below 1,000 daily. In general, stations to the north of Civic Center see much lower ridership, on average one-third of stations from Civic Center south. They are mostly in industrial areas with low population density and little development, as well as stagnant or declining populations, such as Gladeview and Brownsville . Additionally, stations to
5474-479: The Airport Link in 2012, Metrorail increased its service frequency to peak headways of three and a half to five minutes on the shared portion of the line from Dadeland South to Earlington Heights. Along with the Metrorail system, the tracks are mostly elevated. The three sections that are not are under I-95 between Vizcaya and Brickell stations, under I-95 just east of Culmer station, and the northern end of
5593-544: The Brickell Loop. The Arts & Entertainment District is an urban neighborhood with numerous hotels, and high-rise residential buildings. The neighborhood's former name Omni comes from the Omni International Mall on Biscayne Boulevard . The district borders Biscayne Bay the east, NE 2nd Ave to the west, NE 21st St to the north and I-395 to the south. Pace Park, Adrienne Arsht Center for
5712-654: The Brickell Post Office and the Flagler Miami Post Office. The Federal Detention Center, Miami , operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons , is located in Downtown. The City of Miami Fire and Rescue Department operates 4 of its 14 fire stations within the Downtown area. Each are listed below. The average apartment sale price was $ 347,729 in 2010, up 15% from 2009, with the average apartment price at $ 300 per square foot. During
5831-828: The Caribbean and Latin America. Japan opened a consulate in Miami after Japanese investors purchased several major real estate properties in Florida. Downtown is also home to many international chambers of commerce , these include: Downtown has three U.S. historic districts . The Downtown Miami Commercial Historic District, the Downtown Miami Historic District, and the Lummus Park Historic District. The Downtown Miami Historic District comprises 380 acres (1.5 km) in
5950-638: The Downtown Metromover , which encompasses 22 stations on the clockwise Inner (or Downtown) loop and counterclockwise Brickell and Omni branch loops. Government Center station is Downtown's main station and allows for transfers to all Metromover loops, Metrorail trains, and Metrobus lines at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center . Downtown Miami is centered on the Central Business District (CBD), best known by locals as simply "Downtown". Although distinct neighborhoods with different characters, all
6069-543: The Downtown Express only stopped at Dadeland South , Dadeland North , Brickell , and Government Center stations. The service was well received, though it only saved a few minutes' time, partially due to the headway limitations with a system only having two tracks. The service continued past December. The Downtown Express is no longer in use. Metrorail runs from the northwest in Medley through Hialeah , into
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#17327832502446188-470: The Downtown area during the daytime, making Downtown Miami one of the most populous downtowns in the U.S. after New York City and Chicago . With recent mass construction of high-rise residential buildings and office towers, Downtown has experienced large growth, with new shops, bars, parks, and restaurants opening up, attracting many new residents. Along with Brickell, Downtown has grown from 40,000 residents in 2000, to over 70,000 in 2009, making it one of
6307-674: The FTA in which it was forced to open its books over suspicions of money mismanagement. The Agency threatened to cease its funding used to cover operational costs, which would have meant significant cuts in service; however, they took the funding under their strict control to prevent this from happening. The South Link expansion, which was intended to replace the South Miami-Dade Busway , a bus rapid transit that opened in segments on February 3, 1997, and in April 2005, had plans for
6426-863: The Hitachi Rail factory in West Plains, Missouri , and in February 2018 it was announced that the final replacement cars would not arrive before 2020. The shortage of replacement cars resulted in some Metrorail runs being operated as two-car trains. As of August 3, 2024, the current standard fare on Metrorail is $ 2.25 and reduced fare is $ 1.10. A standard monthly pass costs $ 112.50 and $ 56.25 for reduced fare. The monthly Easy Cards are sold at over 50 sales outlets. Reduced fares are available only to Medicare recipients, people with disabilities , and Miami-Dade students in grades 1 through 12. Children below 42 inches (110 cm) tall ride free when accompanied by
6545-502: The Joan Lehman Sculpture Plaza. These new parks have brought more green space, benches, art, and rest areas to the street. City centre The city centre is the (often historical) area of a city where commerce, entertainment, shopping, and political power are concentrated. The term is commonly used in many English-speaking countries and has direct equivalents in many other languages. However, noticeably, in
6664-562: The MIC, the Orange Line connects to Tri-Rail , Greyhound intercity buses, and the MIA Mover , the airport's people mover. In addition to private development, several joint-development affordable housing projects have recently been constructed along the Metrorail line with the intent of increasing ridership through transit-oriented development. These projects include Santa Clara apartments, Brownsville Transit Village, and The Beacon, which
6783-465: The Metromover in Downtown Miami and Brickell, the entire Metro system operates 43 stations. Metrorail stations are located at about a mile (one and a half kilometer) apart along the line, and Metromover stations are located at approximately every two blocks in the greater Downtown area. Travel times provided are approximate for travel to and from Government Center in Downtown . From the beginning,
6902-632: The Metrorail bridge over the Miami River. Additional segments between Earlington Heights and Okeechobee opened between December 1984 and May 1985. In March 1989, a temporary station was opened to provide a connection to the newly opened Tri-Rail commuter rail line, with the now permanent station officially opening in June. Preliminary engineering for a rapid transit extension to the Palmetto Expressway began in 1996 with Palmetto station opening in May 2003. As far as operational costs, revenues expected for 2006 were $ 17.15 million, while expenses budgeted for 2006 were $ 41.29 million. These historic figures became
7021-402: The Metrorail was designed and envisioned to have more lines than the current two line system; however, the federally subsidized cost of the original line ended up over budget at $ 1.02 billion, after which ridership was much lower than expected. The proposed lines included: It was not until the half-penny transit tax was passed in 2002 that any serious expansion plans were again considered, with
7140-423: The Miami Downtown Development Authority as the 3.8-square-mile (9.8 km) area east of Interstate 95 between Rickenbacker Causeway to the south and the Julia Tuttle Causeway , which connects Miami and Miami Beach , to the north. The area is a cultural, financial, and commercial center of the Miami metropolitan area, tracing its present-day history back to the 19th century. In recent years, Downtown Miami has
7259-443: The Miami Intermodal Center (< 2,000). Year averages are rounded to the nearest 500, and the highest month is also given in bold. A trend of lower ridership during the summer can be seen, when the traffic and population of the county (and state) is generally lower. The low December ridership anomaly may be explained by the long Christmas and holiday season . By 2016, ridership started to decrease, especially by summer, where July saw
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#17327832502447378-407: The North Corridor and East–West lines, both dubbed the "Orange Line," assuming the highest priority, while the possibility of 88.9 miles (143.1 km) of additional rail if all the extensions were built by 2030, was touted. However, after budget deficits, other uses of the tax revenue, and a downgrade of the North Corridor's funding priority to medium-low by the federal government, after 10 years only
7497-417: The Omni Loop. As of 2010, the population of Downtown Miami was 65,696 people, with a population density of 27,487 per square mile. In the 2010 US Census, the racial makeup of Downtown was 57.6% Hispanic of any race, 30.8% White (non-Hispanic) , 7.2% Black , and 2.9% Asian . The zip codes for Brickell include 33129, 33130, and 33131. The area covers 1.084 square miles (2.81 km). In 2000, Downtown had
7616-417: The Orange Drop for New Year's, Bike Miami, and the "America's Birthday Bash at Bayfront Park" for Independence Day. Bayfront Park hosts many large outdoor concerts such as Warped Tour and Ultra Music Festival . Formerly Bicentennial Park, Museum Park has been redone, and is now the site for new buildings for the Miami Art Museum and the Miami Science Museum . Other parks in the Downtown area include: As
7735-543: The Orange Line only runs between Earlington Heights and Miami International Airport, running every 15 minutes. Metrorail runs from 5 a.m. until midnight seven days a week. For a brief period from 2003 to April 2004 there was 24-hour service supported by the transit tax; between midnight and 5 a.m. trains arrived every 60 minutes. A limited-stop bus route, Route 500 Midnight Owl, operates hourly between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. trip between Dadeland South and Government Center Metrorail stations. This bus service replaces
7854-459: The Performing Arts , and the (former) Miami Herald headquarters are located within the district. The Arts & Entertainment District is served by the Miami Metrorail at: Government Center Station , and by two Metromover stations on the Omni Loop. Park West is the neighborhood just west of Museum Park , east of NW 1st Ave, south of I-195 , and north of NE 6th St. Park West was primarily known for its nightclubs , and in recent years has been
7973-436: The South-Dade Transitway Corridor, is currently an under construction gold standard bus rapid transit line with an expected start of revenue service in the fall of 2024. On November 16, 2022, Miami-Dade County announced that they would accelerate construction on the North Corridor along NW 27th Avenue from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza station to Hard Rock Stadium at NW 199th Street in Miami Gardens, Florida , with
8092-432: The Spain-based Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles . CAF's bid was slightly higher than that of AnsaldoBreda, and thus Miami-Dade was prepared to award the contract to the latter. However, the contract was stalled when CAF filed a lawsuit against the transit authority, claiming that their selection of AnsladoBreda was due to the fact that the builder was willing to open a local factory in Miami-Dade County to assemble
8211-432: The cars expected to be delivered over the course of several years until 2017. By the time the custom rail-car building facility in Medley was completed in early 2016, AnsaldoBreda had been purchased by Hitachi Rail and the full rollout was pushed back to 2019, beginning gradually from 2017. The first trainset entered service in early December 2017. The delivery of the cars fell behind schedule once again due to flooding at
8330-572: The central offices of the Beacon Council, the Downtown Development Authority, Miami-Dade County government , Miami-Dade County Public Schools , Miami Police Department , Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation], and other City of Miami departments despite city hall 's location in Coconut Grove . Several countries have consulates based in Downtown, most of which are located along Biscayne Boulevard and Brickell Avenue . These include: Japan first opened its consulate in Miami in 1992. As of 1992 this consulate gives logistical support to Japanese embassies in
8449-417: The city centre and the CBD are geographically separately identified. The term "CBD" is not often used in the capital Canberra , where the primary activity is government; its "city centre" is usually identified as the district called " City " or "Civic". In Chinese , the urban centre of a city is called the "city centre" or "urban core" ( Chinese : 市中心 ; pinyin : shì zhōngxīn ). In many cities, it
8568-432: The city centre will only partially overlap, if at all. A city centre is often the first settled part of a city, which can make it the most historical part of a city. In most Australian cities, the city centre to some extent coincides with the central business district , with the result that "the City", "city centre", and "central business district" or "CBD" are regarded as near-synonyms. However, in some Australian cities,
8687-426: The city centre. Amsterdam is a clear example of the city centre and the central business district not being the same area. The city centre of Amsterdam is Centrum , the historical heart of the city, but the CBD areas of Amsterdam are Omval in the southeast and Zuidas , in the south. Additionally, Westpoort serves as the city's industrial park . Because of the bombardment of Rotterdam during World War II, with
8806-501: The city of Miami, the downtown area, through Coral Gables and South Miami , and ending in southwest Miami-Dade at Dadeland Mall. There are 23 accessible Metrorail stations, one about every 1.25 mi (2.012 km). Metrorail connects to the Metromover system at Government Center and Brickell stations and to South Florida 's Tri-Rail suburban commuter rail system at the Tri-Rail station (see below). Since completion of
8925-619: The city's Planning Department. The Miami Police Department also has its central offices in Downtown. Downtown is home to many city, county, state, and federal courthouses, jails, judge offices, and law firms. Some of the courthouses in Downtown are the Dade County Family Court, U.S. Court of Appeals Judge, U.S. District Court Clerk, Miami-Dade County Courthouse , Federal Courthouse, U.S. Magistrate Judge, City of Miami courthouses and many others. The United States Postal Service operates two post offices in Downtown. They are
9044-437: The congested South Dixie Highway . During the 1990s, ridership growth was relatively stagnant, however, and Metrorail remained the subject of criticism. At this time, ridership was up to about 50,000 per day, about a quarter of the original ridership estimate. Although the original referendum for a one-cent transit sales tax increase had failed in 1999, a half-cent sales surtax (Charter County Transit System Surtax) increase
9163-462: The downtown area and Tri-Rail station have dedicated parking available. Parking costs $ 4.50 per day or $ 11.50 for a monthly pass. On July 16, 2008, Miami-Dade Transit announced that it would be replacing all fare collection methods with the Easy Card system by late 2009. The system replaces the old cash and token-based system with one that automatically deducts fares at Metrorail fare gates from
9282-477: The early 19th century. Urban development began in the 1890s with the construction of the Florida East Coast Railway by Standard Oil industrialist Henry Flagler down to Miami at the insistence of Julia Tuttle . Flagler, along with developers such as William Brickell and George E. Merrick helped bring developer interest to the city with the construction of hotels, resorts, homes, and the extension of Flagler's rail line. Flagler Street , originating in Downtown,
9401-738: The early 20th century (i.e.: Morays Jewelers, founded in 1900). This area is called the Miami Jewelry District and comprises four Downtown blocks from Miami Avenue to SE 2nd Av on Flagler Street and NE 1st St. After many years of decay, recently, much focus has been placed on revitalizing Flagler Street to its former grandeur. In recent years, a renewed investment interest has been placed on Flagler Street, and many new restaurants and stores have opened up, new landscaping and pavers have been placed, as well as enforced security and tourist guides. Three new pocket parks opened on Flagler St in 2009, Paul S. Walker Park, Robert F. Clark Plaza, and
9520-428: The east side of Downtown with 19th and early 20th-century revival styles. The Lummus Park Historic District is west of Downtown in the neighborhood of Lummus Park. It is west of I-95 surrounding Lummus Park along the Miami River . The historic district was designated historic in 1988 and then expanded in 2006. The area is 260 acres (1.1 km) large with 43 different buildings mostly owned by private entities and
9639-439: The end of that year. The transit tax also funded improvements to the adjoining Metromover system, including removal of the 25 cent fare, with the idea that higher ridership on the system would lead to higher Metrorail ridership, as well as the realization that the cost of fare collection exceeded fare revenue. The original Metrorail line was initially planned to be built to the airport, but due to political pressure and lobbying
9758-681: The evening it is not uncommon for Miami-Dade Transit to link two out-of-service trains together before returning them to Lehman Yard. Trains are stored at the Lehman Yard just west of Okeechobee station. There are extra tracks and a new test track, known as the Lehman Center Test Track, built at the Lehman Yard. Metrorail currently uses 136 heavy-rail cars built by the Hitachi Rail Italy , the first of which started running in December 2017. They were constructed in
9877-510: The existing Metrorail cars with the money instead of replacing them as promised. However, it was found that the fleet had never been maintained properly, and in 2008, a cost-benefit analysis found that, based on the current fleet's condition, a refurbishment would cost just as much as it would to buy new cars, if not more so. There were discussions with Washington, D.C.'s Metro system about combining car orders with their 6000-series cars to achieve lower costs through economies of scale , but
9996-530: The fare systems is Cubic Transportation Systems, a partner with MDT since the beginning of the Easy Card/Ticket implementation. Beneath the Metrorail guideway from Brickell to Dadeland South, along the former Florida East Coast Railway right-of-way, there is a nearly contiguous 10.5 mi (17 km) bicycle and pedestrian trail known as the MetroPath (M-Path) which was built in 1984 along with
10115-450: The fastest-growing areas in Florida. It was estimated in February 2010, that about 550 new residents move to the Downtown area every month. As of 2009, over 190,000 office employees work in Downtown and Brickell. Downtown is served by the Miami Metrorail at Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre , Government Center , and Brickell stations, accessible from Broward and Palm Beach counties via Tri-Rail transfer station . The Metro connects to
10234-483: The following neighborhoods are often labeled under the umbrella term of "Downtown Miami": The Central Business District (CBD), often referred to locally as simply "Downtown", is the historic center of Miami. The CBD is bound by Northeast Sixth Street to the north, Biscayne Bay to the east, and the Miami River to the west and south. The majority of Miami's historic buildings are located in this district, including Flagler Street , museums, libraries, offices, schools,
10353-490: The heart of Downtown with over 60 buildings within its jurisdiction. Many of the buildings within the area are of the Moderne style and Classical Revival style with uses for government, residential, and commercial. Periods of significance within this area are from 1900 to 1924, 1925 to 1949, and 1950 to 1974. The Downtown Miami Commercial Historic District was designated a historic district in 1988 and comprises 20 buildings on
10472-567: The immediate Downtown/Brickell area. Public transportation in the Downtown area is used more than in any other part of Miami and is a vital part of Downtown life. Metrorail , Miami's heavy rail system, makes three stops in Downtown on both the green and orange lines at the Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre Station , Government Center Station , and the Brickell Station . In addition to Metrorail,
10591-400: The initial segment of the single Green Line opened, Metrorail saw less than 10,000 riders per day. This increased to 15,000 after the rest of the line and stations opened in late 1984 and 1985. After running out of money due to cost overruns , the originally planned to be 50 miles (80 km) system consisting of several lines was never completed, and lack of transit-oriented development along
10710-483: The last the Miami Dade Transit Authority ever disclosed, and are the figures still displayed on today's Miami-Dade Transit webpage as of January 2012. With the area having a generally low density and lacking transit-oriented development , the Metrorail was designed as a park and ride system, with the idea being that suburban residents would drive to the stations, then commute the rest of
10829-602: The line from just east of the Palmetto Expressway heading west into the Palmetto station and tail track. In each of these cases, the tracks ride on the ground level for a brief amount of time. The platform at each Metrorail station is long enough to accommodate six-car-long trains; the Dadeland North, Earlington Heights, and Government Center station platforms are long enough to accommodate eight-car-long trains. In-service trains are usually either four or six cars long; in
10948-486: The line had opened. Ridership continued to grow in the late 1980s, with an edge city -like area known as Dadeland in suburban Kendall growing up around the southern terminus of the line at Dadeland North and Dadeland South stations. Consequently, the southern nine stations from Kendall to Downtown Miami have higher ridership than the northern end. This part of the system also has a higher average speed, having fewer curves and long distances between stations as it follows
11067-420: The local government. Prominent styles include late 19th and early 20th-century revival styles, Art Deco , and Bungalow style, with prominent periods of 1900–1924 and 1925–1949. Downtown's largest and most popular parks are Bayfront Park , Museum Park , and Pace Park. Bayfront Park is host to the free DWTWN Concert Series, put on weekly in the park's amphitheater, as well as various other annual events such as
11186-525: The loss of its historical core, the city centre and the CBD are the same area in Rotterdam . City centre and central business district are used interchangeably in New Zealand for any urban area that had city status prior to the 1989 local government reorganisation which saw many city councils amalgamate with surrounding boroughs, counties and towns to form larger districts. Prior to 1989, city status
11305-431: The lowest ridership since the Orange Line opened in 2012. This lag follows Metrobus , which began to decline in 2014, amid an aging fleet and falling oil and gas prices, and posted the lowest ridership numbers in over a decade during June and July 2016. For October 2016, even Metromover recorded low ridership, though the low numbers for this specific month were blamed on one day of closure for Hurricane Matthew . 2017 saw
11424-452: The majority of Downtown streets to be painted by the end of 2010. Venetian Causeway is a popular bicycle commuter route that connects South Beach to Downtown. The Rickenbacker Causeway is very popular on weekends for recreational bicyclists, and often, bicycles can outnumber cars on the causeway. In the 2025 and 2030 long range transportation plans, Miami's commuter rail system, Tri-Rail , has envisioned moving to or adding service on
11543-408: The median age for females were 35.8 years old. The average household size had 1.9 people, while the average family size had 2.8 members. The percentage of married-couple families among all households was 25.5%, while the percentage of married-couple families with children (among all households) was 8.5%, and the percentage of single-mother households among all households was 5.8%. 15.3% of the population
11662-719: The metro system. It is popular among cyclists, some of whom use it to commute to and from downtown, as well as runners. In 2014, plans were made to revamp the MetroPath as a linear park , taking after the popular High Line in New York City, by a group known as "Friends of the GreenLink. The University of Miami assisted in the procurement of the idea. Into 2015, the proposal gained momentum and rebranded itself as [Friends of] "The Underline". The full park will be completed in phases and will be fully complete in 2025. Metrorail currently operates 23 stations, and combined with
11781-420: The next year with only 25% in the starting year. Note the large jump in ridership starting September 2012 after the Orange Line extension to MIA opened, the largest project that came to fruition after the passing of the half-penny tax in 2002. Service frequency below Earlington Heights was doubled as a result, hence the ridership jumped by nearly 10,000, at least four times the ridership of the single new station at
11900-496: The north of Earlington Heights are only served by one line, giving them much longer headways . In December 2015, Miami-Dade Transit began the Downtown Express , a monthlong pilot program for express service between key stations during rush hours. During morning rush, many stations are skipped from the north and south en route to downtown, and in the afternoon, stations are skipped as the trains leave downtown. Hence,
12019-405: The percentage of people born in another U.S. state was 25.0%, and the percentage of native residents but born outside the U.S. was 6.4%, while the percentage of foreign born residents was 41.7%. 2009 Census projections indicate that the area's residential base has increased from 40,000 to 71,000 since 2000, with an expected Downtown population of 85,000 by 2014. As of 2006, 189,164 residents live in
12138-740: The political and cultural centre of the city, but Beijing's CBD sits in Chaoyang District , to the east of the historical city; Shanghai 's city centre was defined by the Old Chinese City , the International Settlement and the French Concession and sat on the west bank of the Huangpu River , whereas the modern financial district is concentrated on Lujiazui , a newly developed area across
12257-450: The promises that were not kept as well as what money was misspent and how. Despite the service cuts, due to the rise in energy prices and ever-increasing congestion, as well as a significant amount of residential development in the downtown area, ridership continued to grow during the 2000s, averaging well over 60,000 weekday riders throughout 2011. However, this is still short of the 1985 estimate of 75,000 daily riders that were expected by
12376-456: The river from the traditional city centre (although parts of the traditional city centre remain key financial and business centres). The Hebrew term for "city centre" is a direct translation: "מרכז העיר" (merkaz ha'ir); however it is used inconsistently in different cities throughout Israel due to their extremely varied topographies and urban designs. In Dutch, the terms binnenstad , centrum , stadscentrum , or stadskern are used to describe
12495-406: The single line led to the system being regarded as a boondoggle . President Ronald Reagan commented that, given the low number of riders, it would have been cheaper to buy them all a limousine than the billion dollar cost of building and subsidizing the system. The federal subsidy was approximately $ 800 million of the $ 1.02 billion used to fund the line. Ridership was up to 15,000 after the rest of
12614-521: The start of work. It was also announced that Phase II would include park-and-ride facilities added at five of the eight total stations. As of June 2024, the extension will be completed by 2036. Sortable chart detailing monthly weekday ridership averages by calendar year; right hand chart giving annual averages may use "fiscal year" without disclosure, where the FY begins in October and has 75% of its time in
12733-597: The system, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA, then, the Urban Mass Transit Administration) committed 80% of the costs for the first stage of rapid transit system, with the county and state incurring the remaining cost. In the end the system cost over a billion dollars. In April 1979, the Interstate Commerce Commission ratified an agreement between the Florida East Coast Railway and Dade County to transfer
12852-662: The talk of much revitalization and project proposals for the revitalization of the area. By the end of 2015 most of the nightclubs along the former club row west of the MetroMover from the Freedom Tower station to the Eleventh Street Station have been demolished to make way for planned construction of Miami World Center . Park West is directly served by the Miami Metrorail at: Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre Station , and by three Metromover stations on
12971-410: The talks failed to work anything out. The following year, Miami-Dade issued an RFP for new cars to replace their existing fleet, at a cost no greater than $ 2.419 million per car. Proposals from three railcar manufacturers were reviewed, with only two of which meeting the price requirements, these being from Italy-based AnsaldoBreda and Elmira Heights, New York -based CAF USA, an American branch of
13090-558: The vast majority of local, county, state and federal government offices and courthouses, and Miami's Historic District and Government Center . The CBD is directly served by the Miami Metrorail at Government Center Station and by 13 Metromover stations on the Downtown, Brickell, and Omni Loops. The Miami Jewelry District is a sub-neighborhood within the Central Business District historically known for its numerous jewelry stores, jewelers and gem dealers. It
13209-467: The vehicles. This violation could render the deal ineligible for federal funding . After reevaluating the bids from the builders, without taking local geographic preference into account, Miami-Dade reaffirmed its selection of AnsaldoBreda, and in November 2012, approved a $ 313 million purchase of 136 new Metrorail cars from the company. Miami-Dade issued the notice to proceed the following month, with
13328-493: The way into the city. Nearly all of the stations outside of downtown Miami have parking facilities, except Tri-Rail station. Several have large parking garages , such as Dadeland North and South stations, located at the southern end of the system, which combined have space for over 3,000 cars. Earlington Heights , located just northwest of Downtown and adjacent to Interstate 95 and the Airport Expressway , has
13447-676: Was among the last orders Budd filled before shuttering its railcar manufacturing business; a fleet of similar vehicles was manufactured by Società Italiana Ernesto Breda for the Red and Purple lines of the Los Angeles Metro Rail between 1988 and 2000. These cars were manufactured in Budd's Red Lion plant in Northeast Philadelphia in 1983. The cars are 75 feet (23 m) long, 10 feet (3.0 m) wide and have
13566-631: Was granted to a town or borough with a population greater than 20,000. In everyday language, New Zealanders often refer to city centres as going to "town". Wellington metropolitan area has 4 respective city centres in Wellington , Lower Hutt , Porirua and Upper Hutt whereas Auckland metropolitan area has 2 city centres in Auckland and Manukau . Timaru has a "city centre" whereas towns larger than it such as Blenheim or Pukekohe have "town centres" as they did not achieve city status prior to
13685-401: Was in correctional institutions. 1.6% of the population was in other group homes. The percentage of never-married males 15 years old and over was 27.6%, while the percentage of never-married females 15 years old and over was 13.9%. As of 2000, the percentage of people that speak English not well or not at all made up 23.1% of the population. The percentage of residents born in Florida was 26.9%,
13804-534: Was instead directed to its current alignment around the airport and to Hialeah . In May 2009, Miami-Dade County broke ground on the AirportLink project, a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) extension of Metrorail connecting the existing Earlington Heights station to the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC), located adjacent to Miami International Airport 's rental car center. The AirportLink was considered
13923-475: Was passed by a two-to-one margin by Miami-Dade County voters in November 2002, with the intention being for the revenue to go fully towards the funding of new transit lines, including the Metrorail Orange Line, new bus routes, and increased service. Metrorail briefly ran a 24-hour hourly service from 12am to 5am and rush hour peak headways were reduced to 6 minutes, but the idea of the transit tax
14042-685: Was reported at 21% dropping from a high of 26% in mid-2010. Downtown also reported an average commercial asking rate of $ 36.33, making it the eighth-highest in the nation after Manhattan , Washington DC , Fairfield County, Connecticut , San Francisco , and Boston . Downtown has over 6,000 hotel rooms in numerous hotels. Downtown has Miami's largest concentration of hotel rooms, and is the city's hub for business travellers . Many of these hotels are geared for business travellers, mostly along Brickell Avenue , some for luxury leisure stays, and others as bargain tourist hotels. Historically, Flagler Street has been Downtown's major shopping street dating back to
14161-424: Was sold to voters as being able to fund up to 88.9 miles (143.1 km) of additional Metrorail track by the 2030 long range plan, beginning with a completion of an Orange Line north corridor and east–west line by 2016. As it turned out, Miami-Dade Transit was running a deficit and used some of the tax to close the books, as well as using some to hire new staff, pay rent, and buy furniture for their new headquarters at
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