Year after year, Miami Beach welcomes thousands of visitors for spring break. And unlike Fort Lauderdale, which is embracing “organized fun” this time around, SoBe isn’t being so welcoming. A look back at recent years of declaring state of emergencies, implementing curfews and even restricting alcohol sales will explain why.
To avoid making international headlines for all the wrong reasons, the city is trying a different approach to deter spring break crowds this year, even launching a campaign “breaking up” with the holiday.
A webpage for the effort currently lists a series of restrictions, with emboldened text at the top that reads: “Expect curfews, security searches and bag checks at beach access points, early beach entrance closures, DUI checkpoints, bumper-to-bumper traffic, road closures and arrests for drug possession and violence.”
New spring break measures
As part of the city’s “break up” approach, the following rules will be in place, with a focus on the two weekends that draw the largest number of visitors: March 8 to 10 and March 15 to 17.
- City-owned parking garages will be closed from 6 a.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Monday, including:
- 7 Street and Collins Avenue
- 12 Street and Washington Avenue
- 13 Street and Collins Avenue
- 16 Street between Collins and Washington avenues
- 17 Street and Convention Center Drive
- Pennsylvania Avenue and Lincoln Lane North
- 18 Street and Meridian Avenue
- 18 Street and Bay Road
- 23 Street and Liberty Avenue
- A flat rate parking fee of $30 for city parking garages and surface lots.
- A $100 flat fee parking rate for non-residents at the 42 Street garage between Royal Palm and Sheridan avenues.
- Doubled towing rates for non-residents at $516, plus a $30 administrative fee.
- 6 p.m. beach closures and security checkpoints to ensure prohibited items — such as coolers, inflatable devices, tents, tables — don’t enter the beach. As a reminder, alcohol and smoking are always prohibited on city beaches, not just on spring break.
- Limited beach entrances on Ocean Drive to 5th, 10th and 12th streets.
- Liquor stores in the South Beach entertainment district are required to close at 8 p.m.
- Heightened police presence.
- A DUI sobriety checkpoint will be in place along 5 Street on March 8-9 and March 15-16.
- No sidewalk seating on Ocean Drive from March 8-10 and March 15-17.
Traffic & trolley service
Miami Beach Police will also implement a parking plan beginning at 6 p.m. each Friday through Sunday to reduce traffic impacts around the South of Fifth, West Avenue and Flamingo Park neighborhoods. Drivers can access South of Fifth via Alton Road, Washington Avenue and Collins Avenue. The Flamingo Park neighborhood can only be accessed via Alton Road.
Additionally, the city’s free trolley service will operate on an enhanced service, with one extra trolley operating on the South Beach Loops A and B and two additional vehicles operating on the Collins Express. The service will run from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. from March 8-11 and March 15-17.
More information on spring break measures this year can be found here.