1984: A Zoom With a View
May 21, 1984 was the first "revenue day" for Metrorail -- the day Dade County's gleaming, modernistic elevated train welcomed paying passengers. The single Metrorail line extended only as far north as the Overtown station -- further north the line was still under construction. But from Kendall commuters there was nothing but smiles.
"It beats the New York subway by a mile," banker Robert Thomas told the Miami News. "It's nice to have a view in the morning, rather than looking at tunnels."
Sunday, May 20 was Metrorail's inauguration day. Rides were free and ridership topped 150,000. On Monday morning, paying customers numbered one thousand or so. But everybody loved the view.
WTVJ sent a three-man news team into the field to cover Metrorail's first day: Nick Bogert at the Government Center station, David Goldstein on US 1 -- a traffic nightmare backers hoped Metrorail would banish -- and Al Sunshine riding the rails.
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