Miami-Beach-Takes-Extra-Measures-to-Ensure-a-Safe-Spring-Break-II
We are committed to providing excellent public service and safety to all who live, work and play in our vibrant, tropical, historic
community.
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS, Tel: 305.673.7575 PRESS RELEASE
Tonya Daniels, E-mail: tonyadaniels@miamibeachfl.gov
Melissa Berthier, E-mail: melissaberthier@miamibeachfl.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2019
Miami Beach Takes Extra Measures to Ensure a Safe Spring Break
— Come on Vacation, Don’t Leave on Probation —
Miami Beach, FL – Miami Beach is once again welcoming large numbers of visitors for
spring break this year. In preparation, the city has been implementing a comprehensive
and coordinated plan to ensure visitors are able to enjoy the beaches, while maintaining
safety and resident quality of life.
During the weekends starting on Friday, March 15 and Friday, March 22, 2019, Ocean
Drive will be closed to all vehicular traffic beginning at 7 a.m. to provide a safe, open
walkway for guests. Ocean Drive will remain pedestrian-only until the following Monday
at 3 a.m. Additional safety measures include the use of barricades along the perimeter of
the cafés. Cafés will continue to operate as normal, within their approved sidewalk café
footprint and are not allowed to extend. However, should the need arise; the Police Chief
has the approval by the City Manager to call for a temporary suspension of sidewalk
cafés. If the Police Chief determines to suspend them, at any time, the City Manager
may decide to continue the suspension for the following Saturday and/or the following
weekend. The city has the support of the Ocean Drive Association, who will assist with
communications with operators throughout the weekends.
This year, based on spring break schedules, March 1 through April 2, 2019 has been
identified as a high impact period for Miami Beach, and the city is taking the following
measures:
• Coolers, inflatable devices, tents, tables and similar structures on the beach will
not be permitted.
• The limitation of live or amplified music.
• The limitation of traffic routes to prohibit vehicular access to non-residents, and
permit access only for residents and those patrons and employees of
businesses located in the specific area where traffic routes have been limited.
• The establishment of occupancy limits for different segments of beach property,
and prohibiting access to those areas that have reached those occupancy
limits, in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public.
• The prohibition of any direct or indirect consumption of alcohol on the beach
property.
• Continued enforcement of the prohibition of smoking marijuana
• The implementation of a license plate reader police detail, which may be
utilized on eastbound traffic lanes of the MacArthur and Julia Tuttle causeways.
We are committed to providing excellent public service and safety to all who live, work and play in our vibrant, tropical, historic
community.
• Depending upon crowd size and in the interest of public safety, the Miami Beach
Police Department may close Ocean Drive or a portion thereof between 5 to 12
streets during peak hours.
• Deployment of Goodwill Ambassadors on the weekends to provide tips and
assistance to beach-goers.
“We look forward to hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors who choose to spend their
vacation in the fun and sun capital of the world, and we hope these proactive measures
will ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all,” said City Manager Jimmy L.
Morales.
The city has also launched a multi-tiered marketing campaign encompassing traditional
media, digital, social and out of home advertising to communicate these additional
measures. For more information, visit www.mbspringbreak.com.
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