Miami-Dade Transit has decided to replace 12 original Metromover cars instead of overhauling them. The rubber-tire vehicles were built by Westinghouse in 1986 and could be rehabilitated for an estimated $18.7 million, a job that would require more than four years. However, Bombardier, which now owns the proprietary Westinghouse people-mover technology, could deliver 12 new cars in just 22 months at a cost of $20.7 million under a sole-source contract.
The new fleet will sport an updated front-end design and electronic information displays. Seventeen cars purchased as part of a system expansion in the mid-90s will be renewed in the next three years.
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade Transit also is preparing specifications to rehab 136 Metrorail cars. The cost is estimated at $211 million.
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