Metrorail Finally Connects to MIA, But Good Luck Getting From the Airport to South Beach

When Miami's Metrorail finally reached the city's airport last week via a half-billion dollar expansion, our town's leaders weren't exactly humble. The 2.4 miles of track now make Miami "one of the great cities," County Mayor Carlos Gimenez crowed. But the long-overdue expansion can't cloud a bigger problem: The train...

By Jacob Katel

August 7, 2012

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When Miami's Metrorail finally reached the city's airport last week via a half-billion dollar expansion, our town's leaders weren't exactly humble. The 2.4 miles of track now make Miami "one of the great cities," County Mayor Carlos Gimenez crowed. But the long-overdue expansion can't cloud a bigger problem: The train system still doesn't take tourists where they most want to go.

How hard is it for a clueless visitor to get from MIA to South Beach? We devised an experiment to find out. Click through for the video.

New Times' writer Benjy Caplan posed as a confused Canadian tourist -- clad, of course, in a winter coat and boots -- and wandered around the airport posing a simple question: "How do I get to South Beach?"

The results were harrowing. You can read about them here, or watch this video of the lowlights of Miami's still-deficient public transit:

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