Miami Beach unveils water taxis, shuttles to ease Art Basel traffic
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Typical traffic in Miami Beach will be worse this week. Photo: Martina Tuaty/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Tens of thousands of art fans will clog up our streets this week for Art Basel and Miami Art Week.
Here's a quick guide to help you get around — or avoid the area entirely
Impacted areas: Miami Beach, downtown Miami, Wynwood and the Design District will likely be the busiest spots around Miami-Dade County this week.
- South Beach — home to Art Basel, Untitled Art Fair, Scope Art Fair, Aqua Art Miami, INK Miami Art Fair and more — will be especially busy.
- The MacArthur and Julia Tuttle Causeways connecting downtown Miami to the Beach will surely be backed up.
Peak travel times: Weekday afternoons, with congestion picking up closer to the weekend, per a city memo.
Pro tip: If you're driving, avoid the causeways and park your car in North Beach or downtown.
- You can head to South Beach via rideshare or the city's free public transportation.
The latest: The city of Miami Beach is rolling out a public transportation plan and restricting lane-closing construction projects to ease congestion.
Water Taxi: Miami Beach is launching four water taxis to take folks between the Beach and downtown Miami beginning Wednesday.
- It will run every 15 minutes between Maurice Gibb Memorial Park (1790 Purdy Ave.) and the Venetian Marina & Yacht Club (1635 North Bayshore Dr.)
- Also: Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-midnight and Sunday, 10am-10pm.
Art Week shuttle: Miami Beach is also rolling out a free shuttle service connecting to downtown Miami, looping between different art fairs, parking garages and the water taxi locations. (See the full map and track the shuttles here)
- The shuttle will run every 15 minutes, operating during the same hours as the water taxi.
- The Outer Loop has two Miami Beach stops: Convention Center Drive between 17th and 18th streets, and Royal Palm Avenue between 41st and 42nd streets. (The Miami stops are: Northeast 29 Street and North Miami Avenue and NE 38th Street and NE First Avenue.)
- The Inner Loop will travel between the Miami Beach Convention Center, the water taxi stop at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park and Mid Beach.
- The Water Taxi Connector shuttle will go between the Convention Center to Maurice Gibb Memorial Park every 15 minutes, in coordination with the water taxi.
- Plus: Park and Ride shuttles from multiple garages downtown and on the Beach.
Miami Beach Trolley: The year-round free trolley will be operating from 8am to midnight each day. Download the transit app to track it.
Freebee: Book free rideshare trips.