Traffic alert: Expect delays as workers, theatergoers, Miami Heat fans converge downtown
It could be the perfect traffic storm.
Friday night in downtown Miami. Workers eager to get home. People heading to a restaurant. Theatergoers rushing to make the opening curtain.
And thousands of fans heading to Kaseya Ceter.
Here’s what to know about traffic issues as Miami Heat plays the New York Knicks in the playoffs:
When is the Miami Heat-New York Knicks game?
Game time: Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Kaseya Center, 601 Biscayne Blvd. in downtown Miami.
Traffic impact: While Heat fans are known for arriving late to a game, this is no ordinary game. So more fans will likely arrive before tip-off. That means city streets, surrounding highway ramps and public and private parking will fill up earlier. Arriving fans driving to the game may encounter an exodus of downtown Miami workers eager to get out of there and get home.
Are there any other traffic issues in downtown Miami?
Events: “Ain’t Too Proud,” the Temptations musical, starts at 8 p.m. Friday, May 12. The Arsht Center is at 1300 Biscayne Blvd., seven blocks north of the Heat arena. The show will be over around the same time as the game, and that means more crowds and traffic on the streets from 10:30 to 11:30 p.m.
Friday night crowds: Expect general Friday night traffic to area restaurants and bars,
Delays: There are always traffic back-ups at the beginning and end of Miami Heat games as parking lots empty and drivers hit the road in what is a construction zone on highways running through downtown. Miami Heat games generally run 2 1/2 to 3 hours so there will be a lull after the 7:30 p.m. tip-off until the end of the game after 10 p.m.
This story was originally published May 12, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
