Traffic alert: Return of Miami Heat and Florida Panthers slow the flow around arenas
South Florida sports fans are celebrating the return of the Miami Heat and the Florida Panthers. The pro basketball and hockey teams started their new seasons this week.
But with the explosion of sports comes the explosion of traffic. Both the Heat and the Panthers have home games Friday through the weekend, and drivers should take note of possible traffic delays around the downtown Miami and Sunrise arenas before and after the games.
Miami Heat and Florida Panthers home games typically start at 7:30 p.m., just after rush hour. But cars converge on the event parking lots well before that as fans pour into the area. Then there are the office workers trying to head home and others going out for a night on the town in downtown Miami or around Sawgrass Mills.
Don’t forget the other events and venues in the downtown Miami and Sunrise areas that pile on the pain.
During the Heat’s home stretch Oct. 21 and 22, for instance, “Romeo and Juliet” will be at the nearby Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. So theatergoers and basketball fans will be on the same roads and aiming for the same parking areas at the same time.
While suburban-flavored Sunrise is more wide open than the narrow and packed streets of downtown Miami, the FLA Live Arena, where the Panthers play, is near the always crowded Sawgrass Mills mall, with its restaurants and outlet shops. Nearby are strip shopping centers with restaurants and big-box stores and sprawling residential communities filled with commuters.
So expect heavier traffic on Sunrise and Oakland Park boulevards as well as the Sawgrass Expressway, not to mention the parking lots in the area. And if you’re going to IKEA for a build-your-own bookcase or a plate of meatballs, you could face a jam.
Heading to the South Florida arenas? Or trying to avoid the areas? Here are some things to know:
Miami Heat
Home: FTX Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami
Nearby: Bayside Marketplace, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park, downtown Miami business district, Brickell area
Traffic choke points: Biscayne Boulevard from 11th to Flagler streets, Northeast Second Avenue from 13th to Flagler streets, ramps to and from I-95
Tip: Traffic worsens when other events are scheduled the same night as Heat games. If you’re heading to the game or just trying to get through the gridlock on the way home or to another area venue, take note of the calendar of events at the nearby Arsht Center and FPL Solar Amphitheater at Bayfront Park.
Upcoming home games: Boston Celtics at Heat, Oct. 21; Toronto Raptors at Heat. Oct. 22 and Oct. 24; Golden State Warriors at Heat, Nov. 1; Sacramento Kings at Heat, Nov. 2
Florida Panthers
Home: FLA Live Arena, 1 Panther Pkway., Sunrise
Nearby: Sawgrass Mills mall, IKEA
Traffic choke points: Oakland Park Boulevard, Sunrise Boyulevard, Hiatus Road, Sawgrass Expressway ramps,
Tip: If you’re heading to the Sawgrass Mills mall and not planning to watch the Panthers play, take note of game dates and times to avoid the traffic crush.
Upcoming home games: Tampa Bay Lightning at Panthers, Oct. 21; New York Islanders at Panthers, Oct. 23; Ottawa Senators at Panthers, Oct. 29
This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 8:16 AM.
