Government Center station (Miami)

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Government Center
Metrorail metro station
Metromover people mover station
File:Miami Government Center from East.jpg
Government Center station is located at the base of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center building
Location
  • Metrorail:
    101 NW First Street
    Miami, Florida 33128
  • Metromover:
    138 NW Third Street
    Miami, Florida 33128
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Owned by
  • Miami-Dade County (Metrorail and Metromover)
  • FEC (original and future FEC station and Tri-Rail station)
Line(s)
  • Metrorail: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  • Metromover: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Platforms
Tracks
  • 2 (Metrorail)
  • 2 (Metromover)
  • 2 (FEC - est. 2016)
  • 2 (Tri-Rail - est. 2016)
Connections
Construction
Structure type Elevated
Platform levels 4
Parking FEC-owned private lots
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Station code GVT
History
Opened
  • Late 1890s (FEC)
  • May 20, 1984 (Metrorail)
  • April 17, 1986 (Metromover)
Closed January 23, 1963 (FEC)
Traffic
Passengers (2011) 3.2 million[1] (Metrorail) Increase 3%
Passengers (Feb 2014) 299,806[2] (Metrorail (Miami))
Passengers (Feb 2014) 210,134[2] (Metromover)
Services
Preceding station   Metrorail   Following station
toward Palmetto
 Green Line
toward Airport
 Orange Line
Preceding station   Metromover   Following station
toward Government Center
 Inner Loop
One-way operation
One-way operation
 Brickell Loop
Omni Loop
toward School Board
Preceding station   44px SFRTA   Following station
  Future services  
Terminus Blue Line
Coastal Link
Preceding station   Florida East Coast Railway   Following station
  Future services  
toward Orlando
 Brightline
(2017)		 Terminus
  Former services  
toward Jacksonville
 FEC Mainline
(Closed 1960s)		 Terminus
Location

Government Center is an intermodal transit hub in the Government Center area of Downtown Miami, Florida. It is operated by Miami-Dade Transit and serves as an transfer station for the Metrorail and Metromover rapid transit systems and as a bus station for Metrobus, Paratransit, and Broward County Transit buses. The station is located near the intersection of Northwest First Street and First Avenue, a part of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center Building. It opened to service May 20, 1984, on the site of several earlier train stations.

History

View toward the southeast of the city center, with passenger trains and the Dade County Courthouse foreground, c. 1930s

Florida East Coast Railroad Station

Government Center was originally a railroad station developed in the late 1890s as the southern terminus of Henry Flagler's Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) from 1896 through 1905, when construction began extending the line to Key West (see Overseas Railroad). The FEC built a modest wooden-constructed downtown passenger terminal in 1912, near the future Miami-Dade County Courthouse at 200 Northwest First Avenue.[3] The Miami-Dade County Courthouse was completed in 1928. One year before its completion, in 1927, Seaboard Air Line Railroad intercity passenger rail started service at the location, and, along with the FEC, continued service through January 23, 1963, when both of the rail unions went on strike.[4][5]

At the insistence of the City of Miami, which had long fought to get rid of the tracks in the downtown section just north of the county courthouse, the downtown passenger terminal was demolished by November 1963.[6] Although a new station was planned at the Buena Vista yard near North Miami Avenue and 36th Street (US 27),[5] it was never built. The site of the old station is currently parking lots on the east side of the modern transportation hub.

When FEC ended their passenger service, this left Seaboard Coast Line (Later Amtrak) as the sole intercity rail in Miami. They operated out of the decaying Allapattah terminal at NW 7th Avenue until in 1978 Amtrak moved to its current location near Hialeah.[7]

Metrorail and Metromover Station

Development of the civic center was reinvigorated during the 1970s and early 1980s during a Downtown building boom. The boom spurred the development and construction the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, Metrorail, Metromover, and the Miami-Dade Cultural Plaza, which currently includes the Miami Art Museum, the Historical Museum of Southern Florida and the Miami Main Library.

Construction on the present-day Government Center station began in June 1982. The station was primarily designed by the Cambridge Seven Associates in collaboration with Edward D. Stone. The station was built by the Frank J. Rooney Construction Company. Metrorail service, between Overtown and Kendall, following the precise route of the FEC, commenced service May 1984.

An unused, partially completed ghost platform for a future East-West Metrorail line is adjacent to the west side of the mezzanine level below the current Metrorail station and is easily visible to passengers transferring from Metromover to Metrorail. This platform was part of the original design concept which interfaced with the atrium of the Miami-Dade County Administration Building, and the people mover station.

Levels

File:Metromover at Government Center.jpg
A Metromover train waiting on the lower level of the Government Center station.
A Metrorail train is approaching the upper level of the Government Center station with the Dade County Courthouse in the background.

The first floor of the Government Center complex is on the ground level of the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, which has access to the second level, and the Downtown (Inner) Loop platform of Metromover.

The second floor of the Government Center complex includes the main fare control for Metrorail and operations of the metro system, along with 2 Metromover side metromover platforms. The Brickell and Omni Loop Metromover lines are accessible directly from this level, while the Downtown Loop can only be accessed by the mezzanine or ground level. It also features the Metrofare Shops area, which are open most weekdays until mid-afternoon and closed weekends and federal holidays.

The third floor of the complex is a mezzanine for Metrorail and Metromover trains. Access to the Metrorail platform above and both Metromover platforms below provides for easy transfers. A ghost platform for the never built east-west line is located on the floor.

The fourth floor of the complex is the Metrorail Orange and Green Line platform. This section of the station is composed of 2 tracks (one for southbound trains and one for northbound trains) and 1 island platform. It is the highest transit platform of the Miami-Dade Transit system in height and can hold up to 8 Metrorail cars. The station is equipped with WI-FI, escalators, and elevators to the mezzanine level, which provides access to Metromover platforms and the second level.

Future

The Florida East Coast Railway still owns the land alongside the current Government Center Station, and is planning to build a new inter-city rail station at the site as part of their effort to return passenger service to their line, known as All Aboard Florida.

In May 2014 All Aboard Florida unveiled their plans for the 9 acre site, construction anticipated in late 2014. It will include two tracks on either side of an island platform, 50 ft above street level, 3 million square feet of transit-oriented development, with Retail shops at street level and hotel rooms, housing and office space would occupy number towers above the station.[8][9]

Places of interest

Transit connections

File:Government Center and Courthouse.jpg
Government Center with the Dade County Courthouse in the background and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida in the foreground on the right

Metrobus

Route # Route Name Route Map Note
2 The Mall at 163rd Street via NW 2 Ave and North Miami Avenue Map Weekend service terminates at NE 84 St and 2 Ave
3 Aventura Mall via Biscayne Boulevard Map 24-hour service
7 Dolphin Mall via NW 7 St Map
9 Aventura Mall via NE 2 Ave Map
11 Downtown Miami ↔ Florida International University (FIU) Modesto Maidique Campus via Flagler Street and West 107 Ave (SR 985) Map 24-hour service; alternate terminus at Mall of the Americas
21 Northside station via West 12 Ave Map
51 Flagler MAX (Downtown Miami ↔ West Miami to West 137 Ave via Flagler St) Map Weekdays only; limited-stop
77 Downtown Miami ↔ Miami Gardens at Miami Gardens Drive/North 183 St or 199 St via NW 7 and NW 2 Ave. (US 441) Map
93 Biscayne MAX (Aventura via Biscayne Boulevard) Map Weekdays only; limited-stop
95 95 Express (Golden Glades Tri-Rail station and Park and Ride Lot via I-95) Map Afternoon rush hours only
C (103) Miami Beach via MacArthur Causeway Map
S (119) Aventura Mall via Miami Beach and Collins Avenue Map 24 hour service
120 Beach MAX (Aventura Mall via Miami Beach and Collins Ave) Map Limited-stop
195 Dade-Broward Express (Ft. Lauderdale at Sheridan St or Broward Blvd via I-95) Map
Map		 Weekday peak-hours only
207 Little Havana Connection (Downtown Miami ↔ Little Havana via SW 7 St & 1 St) Map
208 Little Havana Connection (Downtown Miami ↔ Little Havana via Flagler Street & SW 8 St) Map
246 Night Owl (Downtown Miami ↔ The Mall at 163rd St via Civic Center) Map Overnight service only
277 NW 7th Ave MAX (Downtown Miami ↔ Golden Glades station via NW 7 Ave) Map Weekday rush hour only; limited-stop
500 Midnight OWL (Downtown Miami ↔ Dadeland South station) Map Overnight service only

BCT

Route # Route Name Route Map Note
95 95 Express (Downtown Miami ↔ Pines Boulevard (SR 820) at Flamingo Road (SR 823) via I-95 and Pines Blvd) Map Weekday rush hour only; limited-stop
595 595 Express (Sunrise BB&T Center ↔ Downtown Miami and Brickell via I-95) Map Weekday rush hour only; limited stop

Gallery

  • Transit at Government Center.jpg

    Three modes of transit operating simultaneously at Government Center during afternoon rush hour

  • Government Center Metromover station.jpg

    The Government Center Metromover transfer station

  • Train at Government Center Lower Platform, Miami.jpg

    A Metromover train is approaching Government Center station

  • Passengers exit a northbound Metrorail train during rush hour

  • Government Center MDT Station @ U.S. Court House-Miami, Florida.jpg

    Platforms overlooking the contemporary US Courthouse building.

  • Platform at Government Center, Miami.jpg

    The ghost platform that is on the mezzanine level

  • Government Center ghost platform.jpg

    A closer view of the ghost platform

  • Government Center Metrorail Station, Mezzanine Level, Miami.jpg

    A Metrorail sign in the plaza

  • View toward the southeast of the city center, with the FEC passenger trains and the Dade County Courthouse foreground, circa 1930s

  • Miami Critical Mass at Government Center.jpg

    Critical Mass Miami assembling at Government Center

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.miamidade.gov/transit/news_technical_reports_archive.asp
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ [1]
  4. ↑ Miami Station (MIA) Great American Stations (Amtrak)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-all-aboard-florida-miami-20140528,0,1472827.story
  9. ↑ http://www.local10.com/news/all-aboard-florida-unveils-designs-for-miami-station/26211322

External links

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