Great news for the traffic-averse (i.e. all of us): The city of Miami Beach is once again offering relief during the Miami Art Week/Art Basel madness with free water taxi service.
From December 1 through 7, up to seven boats will shuttle passengers between Maurice Gibb Memorial Park on Miami Beach and the Venetian Marina and Yacht Club in downtown Miami. Boats will run every 10 to 15 minutes from 10am to midnight, December 1 through 6. On December 7, service ends at 10pm. This shortcut lets you jump from downtown to South Beach and vice versa in no time, with bay breezes as an added bonus.
Once you land at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park, there's a full lineup of free shuttles so you can get right to gallery hopping:
- The Water Taxi Shuttle picks you up at the park and takes you straight to the Miami Beach Convention Center
- The South Beach Art Shuttles loop between the Convention Center and Collins Avenue at 10th and 11th streets
- Mid Beach Art Shuttles cover the area between the Convention Center and Mid Beach with stops at Collins and 22nd, 32nd and 46th streets plus Royal Palm Avenue between 41st and 42nd streets
- The Miami Beach to Design District Shuttle connects the Convention Center to NE 38th Street and NE 1 Court, and it gets special permission to use the inside shoulders of the Julia Tuttle Causeway
All pickup points and drop off spots sit close to public garages on both sides of the bay, which makes park and ride painless.
If you've ever tried to drive during the city's premier art fair, or sat in rideshare as it crawls through traffic, turning a ten-minute trip into an hourlong journey, these water taxis and shuttles are a real lifeline. Find maps, routes and more details on the city's website.