Miami International Boat Show 2020: Traffic Survival Guide

Over 100,000 people are expected over Rickenbacker Causeway for the 79th Miami International Boat Show, organized at Miami Marine Stadium from Feb. 13 to 17. (D Ramey Logan / Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Causeway traffic will be challenged once again Feb. 13 -17 when over 100,000 people are expected to visit the 79^th Miami International Boat Show, but no need to hunker down on Key Biscayne.

The boat show has had four years to iron out kinks since moving to Marine Stadium on Virginia Key. Last year around 40,000 visitors used the free shuttle buses and water taxis with services expanded this year. Key Biscayne residents can take a free shuttle, operating hourly from the Ritz-Carlton.

Nonetheless, expect backups, particularly between the Rickenbacker entrance and the boat show. Plan ahead, allowing a cushion for delays. Here are more tips to help you navigate the traffic.

Pick Your Time

• Friday is “Premier Day” for the public when tickets cost $5 more, but Saturday and Sunday are predicted to be the busiest. Traffic should be lighter on Thursday and Monday, the show’s last day but also Presidents’ Day when people head to the beach.
• Expect most congestion as the show opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. on Monday), but traffic begins to pick up as early as 8 a.m.

Go With The Flow

• There are no special lanes set aside for Key Biscayne traffic.
• When leaving the Key, stick to the left-hand or center lanes to steer clear of cars turning into the event. Coming home, stay in the center or right-hand lanes for speedier transit.

Potential Bottlenecks

• Backups are to be expected between the Rickenbacker entrance and the main entrance to the Marine Stadium.
• Look for congestion around the different parking and ride-sharing drop-off and pick-up areas: Miami Seaquarium Lot C (Ride-sharing drop-off and pick-up and handicap parking, shuttle bus or 15-minute walk to event); Historic Virginia Key Beach Lot B (General parking, shuttle bus to event); Whiskey Joe’s (Valet service, FreeBee shuttle to event.)

Stay Tuned

• Sign up for alerts by email or texts from the Village Information Notification System and the County Emergency Alert Notifications.
• Check out a traffic app like Waze or Google Maps.

Who’s in Charge

Miami-Dade County Police Department heads up traffic management on the Causeway, working with counterparts in the City of Miami and the Village of Key Biscayne police departments. The on-duty event commander coordinates any emergencies, such as access for rescue vehicles.

Key Biscayne Police Chief Charles Press says that anyone with traffic concerns or questions should call (305) 365-5555 rather than posting in chat groups “so we can take immediate action.”

The shuttle from the Ritz-Carlton to Miami Marine Stadium will run roundtrip Thurs., Sun. and Mon. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fri. and Sat. from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.