Improve traffic first

As a longtime Miami Beach resident, I’ve never experienced traffic backups like I have in the past three years.

It is impossible to travel anywhere during daylight hours without a backup. That’s not a way to develop our city economically.

I have advocated for intercept garages at each of our causeways. These could take most Convention Center and hotel employee traffic off our streets and connect guests to Miami Beach via a great trolley system.

I recommend that residents Vote No on the Convention Center hotel at this time. Let’s put the issue back on the ballot in the fall, after we have intercept garages approved by city leaders. Then we should all vote Yes.

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Improve traffic first."