Date: December 21, 1999

Miami Beach – When the clock strikes 12:00 a.m. (EST) on the year 2000, all eyes will be on Miami Beach. As host City of some of the most exciting New Year’s Eve, over one billion television viewers worldwide will be watching Miami Beach live over PBS, ABC, NBC, and over 70 international networks. As a climax to the night, the City’s skies will light up between 5^th and 17^th streets with the largest fireworks display ever in the history of the City.

With all this happening, the City’s goal is to successfully accommodate what is certainly to be a capacity crowd, extensive planning efforts have been underway for the upcoming historic New Year. The City Administration is working with the Miami Beach Transportation Management Association and Miami-Dade Transit to develop convenient, frequent and reliable access to the City via a county-wide park-and- ride service, as well as free shuttles within the City. All efforts will be made to provide continuous flow of vehicles on routes leading in and out of, and within the City, and maintain public and emergency personnel access to and from the City.

The Miami Beach plan will facilitate access and flow of traffic and is working with other agencies for assistance. The mobility plan includes the closing of Ocean Drive from 5^th to 15^th streets beginning at 7:00 a.m. on December 31 until Sunday, January 2, 7:00 a.m. Also at 7:00 a.m. on the 31st, Washington Avenue will be re-routed as a one-way south and Collins Avenue will be re-routed to a one-way north. Also closed will be Ocean Court (alley) to Ocean Drive from 5^th Street to 15^th Street and Espanola Way from Washington Avenue to Drexel Avenue. The streets between Ocean Drive and Washington Avenue (6^th to 15^th streets) will be closed. After 7:00 p.m., 11^th Street from Ocean Drive to Alton Road will be restricted to emergency vehicles and Miami-Dade Transit buses. After 9:00 p.m., the Venetian Causeway only will be restricted to Venetian Causeway residents (each will be given two passes), bus shuttles, and emergency vehicles. The MacArthur and Julia Tuttle Causeways will remain open.

Special Millennium Shuttles have been arranged for those who live outside of the City and for those who either live or are staying in Miami Beach. For those coming from the mainland, special Miami-Dade Transit buses will be available from Golden Glades Interchange and Tamiami Park (corner of SW 117 Avenue and Coral Way) at a $7 round trip fare and/or from Downtown Miami (Government Center & Omni) at a $1 fare. The service begins at 4:00 p.m. on December 31 and will continue until 9:00 a.m. on January 1. Riders will be dropped-off at the Miami Beach Convention Center with a stop at Washington Avenue between 11 and 14 streets.

There will also be a free mini-shuttle service running continuously from the Convention Center to South Beach all night provided by the Miami Beach Transportation Management Association. There will also be shuttles running continuously on Collins Avenue stopping at City parking lots and four major hotels. They will run from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. on January 2. The lots are at 21^st and Collins, 27^th Street and Collins, 34^th Street and Collins, 35^th Street and Collins, and 46^th Street and Collins. The hotel stops are Fontainebleau Hotel, Eden Roc Hotel, Sheraton Four Points Hotel, and the Wyndam Hotel.

Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue valet operations will be moved to the westside of Washington Avenue from 6^th to 11^th streets. There will be no valet operations on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue on the New Year’s Night. All regular valet ramps will be re-established on Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue by 1:00 p.m. on January 1. On Saturday night, January 1, valet ramps will be established on Collins Avenue (eastside) between 11^th and 12^th streets and 9^th and 10^th streets. Ocean Drive will be closed until Sunday. Taxi and limousine drop-off will be located on the west side of Collins Avenue.

Parking will be available throughout the City’s parking lots and garages, but they are expected to fill up early and on-street parking in the South Beach area will be very limited. There will be a flat rate charge of $10 at each entrance of the City’s operated parking locations. The lots in operation will be: 46^th Street & Collins Avenue, 36^th Street & Collins Avenue, 35^th Street & Collins Avenue, 27^th Street & Collins Avenue, 21^st Street & Collins Avenue, Miami Beach Senior High School lots, Convention Center (Preferred Lot), 17^th & Washington Avenue, 17^th Street Garage, Fedco Lot (16^th & Washington), 13^th Street Garage, 13^th & Collins Lot, 12^th Street Garage, 10^th & Washington Lot, 9^th & Washington Lot, 10^th & Collins Lot, 6^th & Collins Lot, 7^th Street Garage. South Pointe Elementary (lot & field) will be used for the Gypsy Kings/Blondie Concert Parking. The Miami Beach Transportation Management Association will provide shuttle service for patrons parked in the South Pointe area to the Gypsy Kings Concert from 4^th Street and Alton Road to Ocean Drive at 5^th Street. Electronic directional signs will direct the public throughout the City.

Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) has provided special funding in the amount of $40,000 to the Miami Beach Transportation Management Association to cover the cost for the City’s transportation needs.

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