In a bid to temper Spring Break's historically tumultuous tide, Miami Beach City Commission has decided to close several parking facilities during peak March weekends. This move serves as the city's latest strategy to mitigate disorder among the seasonal surge of visitors. Following a near-unanimous vote, it was reported by CBS Miami that four parking garages will be shuttered on the weekends of March 7-10 and March 14-17.
The targeted facilities include those on 7th and 13th Streets, Collins Avenue at 12th Street, and the one spanning 16th Street between Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue. With the exception of locals and business employees, who while they will have access, once again, visitors will be compelled to look elsewhere to station their vehicles.
In a statement obtained by CBS Miami, Commissioner David Suarez starkly pronounced, "We really mean it this time. We are not taking half-measures. We really are doing everything we can to end Spring Break, especially during those 2 weekends of March. The more extreme the shutdown the more attention we are going to have and the word is going to get out that it is over." Amidst the growing concern, such decisions come on the heels of increasingly stringent policies, including raised costs of parking and towing, earlier curfews for liquor sales, and security checkpoints.
These steps by the commission are a reaction to last year's troubling headline-making incidents including two fatal shootings and nearly 500 arrests that occurred during Spring Break. Echoing the decisive stance of the City Commission, an 11th-hour announcement reported by the Miami Herald relayed the decision to close parking lots and garages to combat further unruliness. Residents of Miami Beach are watching carefully, hoping that the stringent measures will curtail the violence and chaos as they have disrupted the peace of this coastal city in years past.
