Wynwood's NW Second Avenue Will Be Closed to Car Traffic During Art Basel

Of all the streets in Miami, perhaps none has gotten as clogged with auto traffic during Miami Art Week as NW Second Avenue. The two-lane road runs right through the heart of Wynwood, which in recent years has become an epicenter of activity for tourists and locals seeking an artsy take on Miami nightlife.

This year will once again draw massive crowds to the neighborhood — but you won't see any car traffic on Wynwood's main drag. The Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) announced it'll turn NW Second Avenue into a pedestrian walkway for the second year in a row, allowing no motor vehicles between 20th and 29th Streets. The change will be in effect throughout Art Basel weekend, Friday, December 7, to Sunday, December 9.

"The annual transformation of Second Avenue into a pedestrian-only street makes Wynwood safer and more enjoyable during this very busy time for the district,” explains Manny Gonzalez, executive director of the Wynwood BID, in a statement.

The BID estimates that 350,000 visitors visited Wynwood during the same period last year, when the street closed to auto traffic for the first time. To enforce the closure and control the flow of traffic, Miami Police will station traffic control officers at primary intersections along NW 29th Street, NW 20th Street, and North Miami Avenue, according to the release.

With Wynwood's ever-changing landscape and ongoing construction in the area, it's anybody's guess how this year's closure will affect traffic congestion on neighboring streets or nearby parking. But as Albert Garcia, vice-chair of the Wynwood BID board points out, strolling down the street without dodging cars is an attraction all its own.

"Discovering Second Avenue entirely on foot is a one-of-a-kind Miami Art Week event in and of itself," he says.

The specifics of the closure are as follows:

NW Second Avenue will be closed to all northbound and southbound vehicular traffic between NW 20th Street and NW 29th Street on December 7 from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m., December 8 from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m., and December 9 from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Eastbound and westbound vehicular traffic between NW 20th Street and NW 28th Street will be limited to Wynwood residents and employees during closure times.

Pay-by-phone street parking will not be permitted at any time from Friday, December 7, through Sunday, December 9, along NW Second Avenue between NW 20th and NW 29th Streets, and North Miami Avenue between NW 22nd and NW 24th Streets on the east side (northbound traffic) and between NW 28th and NW 29th Streets.

The City of Miami Trolley will be rerouted onto North Miami Avenue. Miami-Dade Transit buses will operate as normal on North Miami Avenue.