Miami Art Week kicks off Monday, attracting people from all over the world to South Florida. But the boom in tourism comes with traffic.
Jeannie Donovan told CBS News Miami she used to stick around for Art Week.
“Totally friendly for locals,” Donovan said. “We’d just ride our bikes up. Throw them on the bike rack, wander through the convention center. Sort of no crowds, really.”
The spectacle has spread from South Beach throughout South Florida over the years. Now, as she can see the tents being built on the beach, Donovan’s reminded of how crowded it gets now. So she is leaving town.
“We have a flight booked on Wednesday to head back to New York before it all gets crazy down here,” Donovan said. “You can’t move. You just can’t go anywhere.”
Miami Art Week brings thousands of tourists to town, but with the tourists comes traffic.
During Art Week, if you want to get to Miami Beach, you could try your luck on the MacArthur Causeway, but you could hit traffic. Another option is to try a water taxi across the bay.
“If we’re gonna have traffic, this is the type of traffic that we want,” said Miami Beach City Commissioner Alex Fernandez.
Fernandez said it’s worth it, since the event has a roughly $500 million economic impact.
“A lot of our businesses sustain themselves for the rest of the year with the income that they make during Art Week,” he told CBS News Miami.
Donovan said she’s glad the city benefits from this international event every year, but she will wait until it dies down before coming back.
“Friends from all over the country saying, ‘Are you gonna be in Miami? We’re coming to Art Basel,’ and I have to say sorry,” Donovan said.
