Dade’s Transportation and Aviation Committee delayed voting on a plan to begin collecting fares on the Metromover at a meeting last month. Not enough committee members were present, and a quorum could not be established.
The motion was approved on a first reading in September.
Metromover is currently free to ride, and it could take years to recover the costs of switching to a paid system. Installing fare-collection equipment could cost between $2.4 million and $9 million, depending on the level of security and method of fee collection. It will also cost about $525,000 every year for on-going fare collection operations.
If commissioners approve adding a $1 fee to ride Metromover, it could generate between $1.8 million and $2.7 million each year, county officials estimate. The revenue would go to other transit projects, including paying for free transportation for senior citizens.