Ultra popular Ocean Drive: Miami Beach’s infamous roadway located in the South Beach area that’s home to a number of restaurants, cafes, bars, and plenty of people.  Last month, the Ocean Drive Task Force came together to propose a series of recommendations intended to “clean up” Miami Beach’s much frequented thoroughfare and last week city commissioners decided to give the okay.  The task force is comprised of a group of local business owners.

Among the recommendations mentioned by the force, efforts will be focused on improving lighting on Ocean Drive and boosting police presence.  There are also noise ordinance enforcement recommendations focusing on loud music being played by vehicles cruising the streets and widening sidewalks to make the walkways more pedestrian friendly.  Commissioners agreed to the majority of recommendations but refrained from moving forward on an initiative to address the large umbrellas outside of restaurants that the force says have created a “tunnel effect” of sorts on Ocean Drive.  The umbrellas are bolted to the ground and therefore cannot be moved.

The noise ordinance is considered the most difficult to enforce because of the huge amount of noise that naturally exists throughout Ocean Drive.  There are also concerns that stopping drivers on Ocean Drive will cause unnecessary congestion.  However, the changes are certainly a step in the right direction in making Ocean Drive an even better experience for everyone.

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