There’s got to be a better way to handle crowds at Miami-Dade marinas. Here are a few | Editorial

Looks like getting back to “normal” needs some rules, regs and guardrails.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez reopened parks, golf courses and marinas last week — while the region remains in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Wisely, there are stringent measures in place to ensure that newly liberated residents remain physically distanced at county parks — masks and all. More than 1,500 face-mask warnings and violations were issued on Miami Beach alone on Wednesday and Thursday, the first two days public spaces were reopened.

The reopened marinas were a whole other story on the weekend. Boaters started lining up Friday night at Black Point Marina in South Dade to be among the first to hit the water on Saturday. Hundreds of vehicles were backed up at the entrance. Boaters waited for hours because only 10 vehicles at a time could enter. By 10 a.m., the marina had reached capacity and was shut down.

Unfortunately, boaters went from being trapped in their homes to being held hostage in their trucks and cars. And the unlucky ones got turned away.

Long lines expected

Gimenez’s office told the Editorial Board that, yes, long lines were expected, though not as long as they turned out to be, and that the county will address the length of the lines at marinas, especially those where payment is expected. According to Gimenez’s spokesperson, Myriam Marquez, “The mayor says that reopening will not be a perfect science.”

Imperfect, yes, but anticipation and planning are key.

Luckily, the county gets a second try — next weekend is coming. Administrators should consider:

- Having boaters register online for marina access, complete with time of arrival and confirmation number.

- Capping the number of boaters who will be granted entry to marinas on a given day.

- Creating separate access days for odd- and even-numbered license plates.

We get that this reopening thing is new territory for both residents and government administrators. But it’s also a sign that things will not get back to normal smoothly.

New ‘normal’

For example, restaurant owners outside of South Florida are finding that reopening is not the answer to everything. Under the social distancing rule laid out by Gov. DeSantis, they can only serve a limited number of diners.

And will customers have faith that they are safe enough to return to dining, trying to gin up the conviviality of clinking wineglasses and room-filling chatter? A trip to the supermarket no longer is an absent-minded exercise in stocking the fridge and the pantry. Shoppers have to pay attention; they have to follow arrows on the floor to make sure they’re going the right way up the aisle. Everyone should be an expert at eyeballing a distance of 6 feet by now.

The fact that so many people lined up to go out on their boats shows a community-wide state of mind. After seven weeks mostly indoors, residents need some head-clearing space.

But the coronavirus pandemic has not gone away, not in South Florida, and not in Miami-Dade. Vigilance, common sense and planning are as essential as the employees, first responders and service providers who continue to put their lives on the line to deliver our ongoing quest for “normal.”

This story was originally published May 2, 2020 at 5:15 PM.