One of my biggest gripes with Miami is its lack of public transportation. Let's face it -- we Miamians need to exercise our limbs and tone down our road rage, but this city is not providing any adequate means of getting around.
If I didn't need a car, I wouldn't own one. Between the gas, the insurance, and the upkeep, cars are a huge expense. They're also dangerous (particularly when navigating in a sea of Miami drivers). They create stress and pollute our fresh air. Being car-less in Miami, though, is unfortunately too big a handicap.
Our one Metrorail line runs from downtown Miami (where nobody lives) south to Kendall. It barely gets used! Metro envy has made me slightly obsessed with metro systems everywhere. I love the maps with all the multi-colored lines intercepting one another; I observe how the doors open (automatically or manually? if manually, button or handle?); I take note of the seating; I critique the color choices; I try to identify what books people are reading; I feel mobile, energized. Why can't we transport people around effectively like nearly every other developed city in the world?
If you live somewhere in the small circumference between Brickell and Omni, though, you can hop on the FREE Metromover! I wish we had a system like this throughout the most frequented parts of the city. I wouldn't expect to ride for free, or course, but I think it would catch on. Can you picture it? Miami, a city of pedestrians? One can dream.
Since I work in Brickell and recently attended a conference at a hotel right by Metromover's Omni station, I for once had the option of taking public transport. Any kind of metro system in Miami must be above ground since we are practically at sea level, which means riding around is a great way to see the city. Enjoy the tour.
