people mover

American  

noun

1. any of various forms of mass transit, as moving sidewalks or automated driverless vehicles, used for transporting people along limited, fixed routes, as around airports or congested urban areas.

2. any vehicle that transports people quickly from one destination to another.

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people mover British  

noun

1. any of various automated forms of transport for large numbers of passengers over short distances, such as a moving pavement, driverless cars, etc

2. another name for multipurpose vehicle

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Etymology

Origin of people mover

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The fee increase is not set to go into effect until the airport’s long-awaited automated people mover, known as Skylink, opens in the summer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

The current proposal allows the board to increase the fees 30 days after a vote, but it may be put off until the people mover is working, Reich added.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2026

These compromises create the dead-stick handling, latency and hysteresis that typifies your average two-box people mover.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

The station at Aviation Boulevard and 96th Street will connect to the K Line and C Line and will eventually connect to the LAX automated people mover train.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025

The three-stop people mover would connect to the K Line, creating a wider transit network for the growing rail system that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is erecting.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2024