BRT is finally here — six years, $300M, and one big ‘rail-like’ shrug later

With “Crossing gates” and crossed fingers
After years of promises, delays, and more ribbon-cutting photo ops than actual buses, the so-called Bus Rapid Transit system — now rebranded as the MetroExpress — is finally set to open later this month.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who inherited the project from former mayor Carlos Gimenez, now a Congressman, took reporters and the Herald Editorial Board on a “demonstration ride” last week — part victory lap, part PR cleanup — of the county’s first all-electric rapid bus service along the stretch between Southwest 152nd Street and 168th Street. Riders were treated to air conditioning, Wi-Fi, cell charging stations, and a little political spin.
The county wants everyone to believe this is “rail-like.” But let’s be honest, people: It’s still a bus. A very nice, all-electric bus — the longest BRT line in the nation, according to the county — but not the Metrorail train leg to South Dade that voters were sold more than 20 years ago when they agreed to the half-penny transit tax.
Remember that? That was supposed to build real rail from Dadeland to Florida City. Instead, residents are getting a dressed-up bus line — and they’ve been waiting since 2018 for even that.
The 20-mile MetroExpress will run in dedicated lanes along U.S. 1, with 14 stations and all the modern trimmings. The county says the ride from Homestead to Dadeland South will take under an hour during rush hour — instead of the current 1 hour and 40 minutes. That’s good news for the 200,000 people who live within a mile of the corridor.
But here’s the kicker: Those rail-style crossing gates, the same that are used for trains, will block cars so the buses can glide through without delay. They will be coming down at major intersections every few minutes during rush hour, from 6 to 9 a.m. heading north and from 4 to 6 p.m. heading south. Because nothing says “rapid” like more flashing lights and horns on your morning commute. The rest of us? We wait. Even off-peak, the buses get a little green-light favoritism.
Is that a built-in ridership incentive? South Dade drivers may soon be sitting behind flashing red gates watching the buses fly by. Maybe that’s why county officials say the super buses will convince people to ditch their cars.
Read related: Miami-Dade Commission to discuss $245 million South Dade Transit station
If not it’s going to be a huge waste of public money. The BRT cost about $300 million, one-third of that from federal money. Rail, the county says, would have cost more than $1 billion and wouldn’t qualify for federal transit grants because of low ridership projections. And last year, the commission approved the construction of the $245 million South Dade Transit Operations Center, a new, state-of-the-art facility designed to support the BRT. The “first-of-its-kind facility” will maintain, recharge and dispatch a fleet of 100 new electric buses. The SDTOC will also serve as a vital emergency command center and is scheduled for completion in Summer 2026. 
None of that has stopped South Dade residents from feeling shortchanged. For decades, the stretch between Dadeland and Florida City has been the forgotten rail corridor — always promised, never delivered.
Instead, Miami-Dade’s transit expansion dreams keep shrinking with every administration. From the SMART Plan to “rail-like buses,” every big fix seems to end with a cheaper substitute.
And will people ride it?
That’s the $300 million question. Even with sleek stations and no extra fare to transfer to Metrorail, the county hasn’t said how much actual time the average driver would save by switching. And once they get to Dadeland South, BRT riders still have to get off the bus and onto the train — another point of friction that could turn would-be commuters right back to their cars.
As established earlier, there are already about 200,000 people living within a mile of the BRT line. And more are coming. The county’s new transit oriented development incentives will bring new mixed-use and residential projects along U.S. 1.
Read related: Miami-Dade makes affordable housing strides with transit oriented projects
In April, La Alcaldesa and Commissioner Kionne McGhee celebrated the grand opening of the first phase of Quail Roost Station, a 200-unit development that brings affordable housing for seniors to Cutler Bay.
Mayor Levine Cava calls it a “transformative project.” Maybe. Or maybe it’s just the latest example of how Miami-Dade keeps paving over its own transit promises — one glossy ribbon-cutting at a time.
Here’s the final stop: If this thing really works — if people truly start riding it instead of just tweeting about it — great. Miami-Dade desperately needs a win in public transit. But if not, the MetroExpress may become another expensive reminder that South Dade asked for a train and got a bus with better PR.
Either way, mark your calendars for Oct. 27. The gates are coming down. Literally.

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