Partly cloudy skies. High near 90F. Winds ESE at 10 to 20 mph..
Showers early becoming less numerous late. Low 79F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended the elected state prosecutor of Tampa on Thursday for pledging not to enforce the state’s new 15-week abortion ban and for supporting gender transition treatments for minors.
Enumerating all the awful contained in Commissioner Joe Carollo’s proposal to build a homeless encampment on Virginia Key is nearly mind boggling, but we’re going to get to the point.
A Pennsylvania mortgage company owned by billionaire businessman Warren Buffett’s company discriminated against potential Black and Latino homebuyers in Philadelphia, New Jersey and Delaware, the Department of Justice said last week, in what is being called the second-largest redlining settl…
The “Ladies of Simone” were back on stage Saturday night, interpreting standards from American icon Nina Simone at the new Westchester Cultural Arts Center – a black box theater at the entrance to Tropical Park at 7930 SW 40th St. in Miami.
Northbound and southbound lanes on NW 37th Avenue and 191st Street to NW 203rd Street were congested with cars during Miami Grand Prix weekend, as drivers were rerouted to avoid Hard Rock Stadium.
Shenika Mobley and her children watching the F1 racing event Saturday.
Workers collect traffic cones near the stadium on NW 203rd Street and 27th Avenue following Sunday’s F1 race.
Shuttle buses and cars navigate through traffic near Hard Rock Stadium Sunday evening.
Ewensia Igbinoba (R) stands near a golf cart used to transport fans to and from parking lots during Miami Grand Prix weekend.
Florida Turnpike’s exit 2X was blocked off for more than 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday due to the Miami Grand Prix.
Small, hybrid engines on F1 race cars resulted in little to no noise pollution in residential neighborhoods in Miami Gardens.
Northbound and southbound lanes on NW 37th Avenue and 191st Street to NW 203rd Street were congested with cars during Miami Grand Prix weekend, as drivers were rerouted to avoid Hard Rock Stadium.
Streets in Miami Gardens returned to normal Monday after thousands of people flocked to the bustling city’s Hard Rock Stadium over the weekend for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix.
Though many were in favor of having the Formula One championship held in a predominantly Black community for the first time in its 72-year history, residents in opposition were prepared to have their Mother’s Day weekend ruined by loud engine noises and traffic.
Those residents and others living near the stadium were advised by Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Alan Fine to remain indoors or wear earplugs to minimize noise pollution. But what drove them to adhere to Fine’s suggestion to stay off the streets was heavy traffic, not the noise, according to locals.
Small, hybrid engines on F1 race cars resulted in little to no noise pollution in residential neighborhoods in Miami Gardens.
In a court ruling in answer to a request to ban F1 racing in Miami Gardens, Fine told residents that a noise barrier had been erected at the venue, which may explain why some residents were not as frustrated with noise levels during the weekend as expected.
F1 cars today also use hybrid engines that are much quieter than those used in the past. Previously used V12 engines measured more than 150 decibels, according to Flowracers.com, later switched to V10 and eventually V6. All required on-site race spectators to use earplugs to avoid damage to their hearing.
“Riding by, I did hear a little bit of noise here and there, but I didn’t have a problem with it,” said Ewensia Igbinoba, a volunteer who helped transport ticket holders to and from the stadium. “But maybe somebody else felt different from me. It could have been different for somebody else who actually lives here.”
Residents who live within a few blocks of the stadium said there was little to no noise, and the little that they could make out could not compare to the inconvenience caused by event traffic.
Workers collect traffic cones near the stadium on NW 203rd Street and 27th Avenue following Sunday’s F1 race.
Road closures & congested streets
“Traffic [was] horrible,” Katherine Valentina, a County Line Road resident, told The Miami Times. “It took me half an hour to get around town. People were cutting through County Line to get to the stadium so the area was very congested. There was way too much traffic in this little area.”
Valentina, who made what was supposed to be a short trip to a friend’s house in Miami Gardens on Saturday, said even drivers in Broward County were affected by the motor sport event.
Long lines of cars that stretched for miles could be seen on I-95 as many drivers traveling southbound waited in exit lanes for various southern Broward cities. Even main roads in Hallandale Beach and Miramar were backed up, according to Valentina.
“Normally, on a Saturday or Sunday, you can get through here pretty quickly, but traffic was backed up because of this event,” she explained. “This was very different from the traffic we experience during concerts or any other event.”
Shuttle buses and cars navigate through traffic near Hard Rock Stadium Sunday evening.
She disclosed that her Mother’s Day plans had to be revisited because of the traffic delays caused by two days of road closures announced by the city to accommodate the race.
From Saturday to Sunday, all northbound lanes from NW 27th Avenue and 191st Street to NW 203rd Street were closed for three hours in the late afternoon to early evening. Both northbound and southbound lanes from NW 199st and 14th Court to NW 27th Avenue were closed to traffic for hours.
“From what I heard, everything went well and the race was pretty good, according to the people we took to their cars,” said Tommie Floye, who worked with Igbinoba. “There were a few things that could have been done better as far as how traffic was coordinated.”
Those using rideshares were dropped off at a shuttle bus area intended to reduce traffic.
The Florida Turnpike, with an exit leading drivers directly to and from the stadium, closed exit 2X for at least 10 hours over the weekend.
Drivers were rerouted via NW 37th Avenue and 191st Street to NW 203rd Street and other parts of the city. To make a less than one-mile drive down that road on Sunday evening took approximately 15 to 30 minutes, compared to roughly three minutes on a normal day.
“We tried to remain in the house to avoid getting stuck in that traffic so we didn’t really hear anything when it came to noise from the race,” said Shenika Mobley, a Miami Gardens resident. “If I did go somewhere, it was something quick where I could be in and out of there.”
Florida Turnpike’s exit 2X was blocked off for more than 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday due to the Miami Grand Prix.
“The traffic was bad to an extent,” said Florinda McCutcheon, who was not mailed a traffic advisory about the closures. “But if you know the roads and how to maneuver through them, you’d be okay. I was fine; I only got caught in traffic once.”
McCutcheon recalled faintly hearing the race on Sunday, but said it evoked a feeling of excitement rather than frustration or disturbance.
Karen Hunter-Jackson, a resident who launched an effort to recall three city councilmembers who voted to allow F1 racing in Miami Gardens, said she was not happy with how event organizers treated residents. She said attempts to make the weekend bearable for residents who didn’t want this type of event in their backyard failed.
“There was minimal communication. There was supposed to be a town hall meeting for Hard Rock and F1 to speak to residents prior to the race but that never happened,” she said. “A traffic advisory with small print, that could easily be overlooked, was sent. Some residents got an advisory, some just put it with the junk mail. There was no robocall or public service message or anything like that to help residents prepare.
“They were able to check the box that they communicated; if they were going for effectiveness and thoroughness they missed the mark. It didn't appear to be a sincere effort.”
Shenika Mobley and her children watching the F1 racing event Saturday.
“With the traffic and the inconvenience caused by the race, there should be incentives for homeowners,” said Lorenzo Johnson, no relation to Hunter-Johnson.
A $5 million community benefits package is tied to the event, along with $400 million in positive economic impact.
Johnson admitted that traffic was a big issue for him, too, but he does not oppose having F1 in his community. He felt organizers could have done a better job including residents in the event.
“They put this in the Miami Gardens neighborhood but it was disconnected from its citizens,” he said. “We’re talking about an event most of the residents here couldn’t even afford to attend. Whenever you have big marketers like Rolex [and] Crypto, you wonder what are they actually giving back to this community besides this event.”
Mobley shared a similar thought about the event’s accessibility to residents.
Ewensia Igbinoba (R) stands near a golf cart used to transport fans to and from parking lots during Miami Grand Prix weekend.
“I thought it would have been a good family experience for me and my boys but the (ticket prices) were hellacious,” said Mobley, who watched the race at home instead.
“The prices for the tickets were $500 and up, and when I drove around to ask the people about parking prices, it started at $100,” said McCutcheon. “People were already paying so much money on the tickets and I thought, why not give someone a break?”
McCutcheon, and a few others, saw the sporting event as an opportunity to make a few extra bucks.
She allowed people to park in her yard for $40 and offered a ride to and from the stadium. Other residents were charging $50-$60 and an extra $10 for rides.
Though there were lots near Norwood Elementary School and from 441 to Ives Dairy Road, according to Igbinoba, F1 race attendees were delighted to have locals offer more affordable parking options.
“I’ve never seen an event on this scale. This couldn’t even be compared to Rolling Loud, Jazz in the Gardens or the football games,” said McCutcheon, who shared that she came across fans from all across the world. “This event right here was epic.”
“Yes, there are some winners and it is going to benefit ‘some’ people, there will be some scholarships and some good, but it isn't enough,” said Hunter-Jackson, vowing to continue fighting to have racing moved elsewhere despite F1’s 10-year contract with the city. “They may have won the battle, which is having it this year, but the fight is not over.”
62, truck driver, died July 28. Viewing 4 … Read more
28, medical billing coder, died July 16 at… Read more
97, died July 25. Viewing 1 p.m., Saturday… Read more
Periodicals Postage paid at Buena Vista Station, Miami, FL 33127-0200 United States Postal Service Postal Registration Number: 344340 as required for public notices per section 50.011(1)(e), F.S.
Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription