LTC 316-2020 Presidential Debate - Impact on Traffic for City of Miami BeachO FF IC E O F TH E CI TY M A N A G ER
316-2020
NO. LTC# LETTER TO COMMISSION
TO: Mayor Dan Gelber and Members of he City C mission
FROM Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager
DATE: September 15, 2020
SUBJECT: Presidential Debate - lmpac on Traffic for City of Miami Beach
This Letter to the Mayor and City Commission is to provide information on the second
Presidential Debate to be held on the evening of Thursday, October 15, 2020 at the
Adrienne Arsht Center at 1300 Biscayne Boulevard in the City of Miami. The location of
this event will have a significant impact on the flow of traffic into and out of the City of
Miami Beach.
The United States Secret Service (USSS) is the lead law enforcement agency responsible
for security of the venue, security of surrounding areas adjacent to the venue and the
safety of the President of the United States as well as the Democratic Presidential
Nominee, Joe Biden. As part of the USSS's Security Plan, State Road 395 from 195 east
to Biscayne Bay will be impassable from 8 :00 am on October 15 through Friday, October
16 at 1 :00am. The Miami Beach Police Department has been asked by the USSS to assist
with rerouting westbound traffic on the MacArthur Causeway so that no traffic passes
Watson Island during the aforementioned times.
A significant Maintenance of Traffic (M.O.T.) plan has been established, shared and
approved by our Transportation Department. The Office of Communications has been
notified as well as the MBPD Public Information Officer of the event. The USSS is also
working with the Florida Department of Transportation (F.D.O.T.) as well as local media
outlets to properly and effectively message information about the road closures. The
MBPD will have a mechanism in place to allow residents, employees, workers etc. the
ability to safely transit to/from Terminal Island, Star Island and Palm and Hibiscus Islands
during the closure. Alternate routes to and from Miami Beach will be the Venetian
Causeway, SR 195 (aka Julia Tuttle Causeway), 79 Street Causeway (aka John F.
Kennedy Causeway).
JLM:RMC:tr