08/21/2026
Miami-Dade Transit (MDT) is the primary public transit agency serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. It operates as the largest mass transit authority in Florida and the 15th-largest in the United States, managing an integrated network of heavy rail, elevated automated transit, regional bus routes, and paratransit services.
**Early Origins & Unification (1900s–1970s)**
Public transit in Greater Miami began with private streetcar operations. Following the incorporation of Miami, early services included streetcars across the County Causeway connecting Miami to Miami Beach. After a 1935 hurricane destroyed much of the streetcar infrastructure, the city transitioned strictly to buses operated by private operators like the Miami Transit Company (MTC).
To streamline fragmented regional routes, the Metropolitan Dade County Commission established the **Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)** on August 2, 1960. MTA unified private operators—including MTC, Miami Beach Railway Company, and South Miami Coach Lines—into a single public transportation agency. The agency evolved through several structure changes before becoming Miami-Dade Transit.
**Development of Heavy Rail & Metromover (1970s–1990s)**
In 1972, Dade County voters approved a $132.5 million bond program to fund heavy rail transit. Supported by an 80% federal match, groundbreaking for the heavy rail system took place in 1979.
* **Metrorail:** Opened on May 20, 1984, running initially from Dadeland South to Overtown. It serves as Florida’s only rapid transit heavy rail metro system, operating over 24.4 miles of elevated track with 23 stations.
* **Metromover:** Opened on April 17, 1986, as a driverless elevated people mover to connect riders across Downtown Miami. It expanded with the Brickell and Omni loops in 1994 and remains free to ride.
**Modern Expansion & Network Modernization (2000s–Present)**
* **AirportLink (Orange Line):** In July 2012, MDT completed a major extension linking Metrorail directly to Miami International Airport via the Miami Intermodal Center, creating the Orange Line.
* **Bus Rapid Transit & SMART Plan:** MDT introduced the South Dade TransitWay (a dedicated 20-mile bus rapid transit corridor) and continues implementing the Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Plan to expand high-capacity transit along key county corridors.
| Mode | System Highlights |
| --- | --- |
| **Metrobus** | 90+ routes covering over 35 million miles annually across Miami-Dade and into neighboring counties. |
| **Metrorail** | 24.4-mile, 23-station elevated heavy rail system (Green & Orange Lines) connecting Palmetto, Hialeah, Downtown, and Dadeland. |
| **Metromover** | Free 3-loop, 21-station automated people mover serving Downtown, Brickell, and Omni. |
| **STS** | Special Transportation Service offering door-to-door paratransit for individuals with disabilities. |