Spring Breakers take over Ocean Drive. Miami Beach police say no big issues
Partying Spring Breakers spilled onto Ocean Drive Friday night causing authorities to close the strip to cars, as surging crowds and cars jammed Collins and Washington avenues, leading to traffic snaking through the streets to the MacArthur Causeway.
Miami Beach Police Spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez said Friday night’s crowd was to be expected and posed “no significant issues.” Around 10 p.m, he said things were “getting much better.”
Around 9 p.m., videos on Snapchat showed a large crowd on Ocean Drive with a noticeable police presence. Multiple people told the Herald that cars weren’t being allowed to drive down Ocean Drive as the crowd took over the roadway.
Collins and Washington avenues were thronged with crowds and cars. Cars inched their way toward Fifth Street, bumper-to-bumper red lights as drivers tried to exit the island.
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Matthew Gultanoff, a Miami Beach bicycle activist who was on Ocean Drive Friday evening, says crowds organically took over the popular strip Friday night. No cars were allowed and police were trying to reopen the street, he said.
Rodriguez, the police spokesman, said the city had expected the Spring Break crowds.
“The transition from the beach onto [Lummus] park is what happens each night and eventually fizzles out,” he said.
He also noted that compared to previous Spring Breaks, “... We are doing much better than previous years.”
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In light of previous incidents during Spring Break and other large gatherings on the Beach, the city has imposed several restrictions over the years. Most notably, Miami Beach closed Ocean Drive to cars for nearly two years due to the pandemic and reopened it in late January with cars allowed only one way from north to south, from 13th to Fifth streets. The city also created a two-way bicycle lane painted green.
On Friday evening, the city deployed additional Miami Beach officers to monitor the crowds.
This story was originally published March 18, 2022 at 11:18 PM.
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