South Beach 4th of July Traffic Jam -- Build Baylink!!! (Miami: mover, condo)

[hurricaneMan1992]

Yep...it's happened again. An hour and half after the fireworks, and still traffic backed up to 20th ST on Washington and Collins, and half way across the Macarthur Causeway (according to Google Maps). This is what happens when people have effectively no choice but to drive to events on the Beach. Even if we provided more parking, it would not improve ingress/egress one bit! And it is exactly why busses running on a SUNDAY schedule (once hourly between the Beach and downtown) does not cut it for events on the Beach in the 21st Century.

If we had Metrorail or Baylink, one could anticipate that most people would still drive so there would be heavy traffic, and park at the station nearest to their home, and not deal with (and not contribute to) the traffic. Plus the Beach businesses benefit because people who are hesitant to come over due to traffic and parking can still easily come over, IN ADDITION to all the people who drive. This is how it happens in Times Square NYC and in every other world class city--you'd never sustain all that business if everybody had to drive in and find parking. And think about it...the 4th of July is really a "low season" event for the beach....

Finally, spending $800M on "signature" expressway bridges where we have a perfectly good expressway (and also a Port tunnel when we had a perfectly functional Port bridge) will do nothing but pay off special interests--at it's worse it's a form of corporate welfare for the mega highway construction lobby. $800M could build Baylink instead (and the Port tunnel money = light rail along SW 8th st to FIU. and the Marlin's Stadium = the North Extension. Neither of which voters approved in an election. Nor would they have, based on the results from the recent Dolphin's Stadium vote).

[MutantShoegazer]

Pines Boulevard was also filled and there were people everywhere watching the fireworks

So much for South FL not being "real America"

[valicky]

We've been at the convention center for Florida Supercon on Thursday and today. Left around 10:30 tonight and there was definitely traffic, but I was surprised not bumper to bumper and it moved the whole time. A little slow on the causeway and then again by the airport on 836 (as always). I thought getting down there would be bad because it was a beautiful day for the beach, but smooth sailing. I'm hoping tomorrow is okay. That's the really crazy day for Supercon. It used to be at the airport convention center but they outgrew that venue. I've been dreading this trip back and forth for four days on a holiday weekend all the way from West Kendall. Surprisingly, so far, so good.

[bale002]

I live in a mid-rise at mid-County and saw around 10-15 fireworks displays from my balcony and building roof, close enough in some cases to hear sounds and everything. Commute three to 300 feet, as in feet, no wait and did not consume one ounce of gas.

Having said that, indeed a rail link between the mainland and the beach would be a great long-term investment. But people's noses get in their way first.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

Yep...it's happened again. An hour and half after the fireworks, and still traffic backed up to 20th ST on Washington and Collins, and half way across the Macarthur Causeway (according to Google Maps). This is what happens when people have effectively no choice but to drive to events on the Beach.

We may or may not need Baylink, but if the MacArthur Causeway was backed up last night, I seriously doubt that it had anything to do with the fireworks show. Miami Beach's all-day Fourth of July celebration, including the fireworks show, took place a few blocks from me at the North Shore Park bandshell on 73rd Street. Nobody in their right mind would have driven all the way down Miami Beach from there to take the MacArthur Causeway back to the mainland.

On a related matter by the way, the Miami Beach celebration was great. It started with free yoga on the beach at 9:00am, food trucks lined up on Ocean Terrace from 11:00am, and then some very good bands/live music from 2:00pm - 9:00pm in the bandshell. The night ended, of course, with an excellent fireworks show. Except that that didn't exactly end the night. It was a party atmosphere on the beach for several hours after the show ended. People were shooting off their own fireworks up until around midnight or so.

[oronzous]

Build a metromover extension. It is silent (less nimbysm), no traffic interaction, maintenance yard is already built and paid for, the rubber wheels help clear tall bridges, the automatic control system allows for tighter frequencies than what we are used to.

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

Finally, spending $800M on "signature" expressway bridges where we have a perfectly good expressway (and also a Port tunnel when we had a perfectly functional Port bridge) will do nothing but pay off special interests--at it's worse it's a form of corporate welfare for the mega highway construction lobby.

It is sad that often the need for a 'signature bridge' is supported with tales of how the building of I-95 and I-395 transformed Overtown into the wasteland we all know.
But if you think about it a little, such new bridge is, in fact, just what condo developers need to finally price out the black population from the area.

[hurricaneMan1992]

Actually, there were still fireworks off of the Beach near 5th ST. Lots of people hanging out on Ocean. I imagine some people came to watch the world cup match and stayed the rest of the evening too. We walked down to South Pointe to see the fireworks from Bayside and Key Biscayne, and were surprised that there were also some going on right on the beach too. When I was walking back back around 10-10:30 traffic was just a few cars getting through each light each cycle, from 5th and Alton all the way to 7th and Washington, which prompted me to check the Google Maps. North Beach sounds like it would have been the place to be, though.

I didn't know about Florida Supercom, but if that got out at the same time, it would definitely contribute. Obviously, if Miami Beach wants an upgraded convention center with more Supercon--or-larger events, last night kind of proves the point that our current traffic situation simply doesn't work, and we do need a mass transit connection.

BTW we should not be diverting money to the Convention Center (Herald estimates $600M) from the County by extending the special "slum and blight" tax treatment of the Lincoln Road district--that would be yet another example of public money that should be benefiting the entire county (such as Baylink), going to benefit a billionaire developer. Let's call Mayor Gimenez out on this one! mayor@miamidade.gov.

[memo40book]

A lot of traffic heading towards the mainland is caused by the traffic lights on the causeway. This happens nearly every afternoon weekend during the summer. Much longer green lights (I'm talking 5+minutes) would help to get traffic off South Beach.