Trump's Miami Visit To Tie Up Traffic & County Transit Services
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LITTLE HAVANA (CBSMiami) -- A visit from the president is expected to tie up traffic for drivers downtown and near the airport.
President Donald Trump's event is scheduled for Friday afternoon at the Manuel Artime Theater at 900 S.W. 1st Street. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson were in town on Thursday.
The president is making good on a campaign promise to modify the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has bent Trump's ear on making the change.
"Suffice to say, tomorrow will be a good day and a better deal for the Cuban people, by empowering them and doing so in a way that we do not empower their oppressors," Rubio said.
On Friday, President Trump will announce a slew of changes, including a ban on Americans doing business with any group associated with the Cuban military regime and restricting travel to specific and well-documented reasons. Money exchanges between the countries will remain intact.
"Many of the hotels, many of the entire tourism infrastructure in Cuba is controlled by the military. It is a way of raising funds for the military which is also in charge of repression, keeping Cubans down to keep Castro's in power," said local Cuban activist Orlando Guiterez.
Related: White House Previews Trump's Overhaul Of Cuba Policies
Metrorail and Metromover may need to stop service momentarily throughout the day on Friday for as long as a half an hour, county officials announced. Metrorail riders who use the Orange Line to go to Miami International Airport are encouraged to give themselves ample time to arrive to their destination on time.
Some Miami-Dade bus routes might be affected, as well.
In Doral, N.W. 33rd Street between 91st and 97th Avenue will be closed on Friday.
Slowdowns are expected on State Road 836, the Dolphins Expressway, as the president arrives and departs from MIA.
Miami-Dade Transit is asking the public to be patient and plan accordingly.
Transit riders can register to receive Rider Alerts for notifications of transit service disruptions and can follow MDT on Twitter @IRideMDT.
To plan a trip on transit, download the free Miami-Dade Transit Tracker app. Also available is the EASY Pay app, which allows anyone to turn their smart phone into a mobile ticket. Visit EASY Pay page for more information. Transit riders now can also pay for parking via their mobile devices with the PayByPhone cashless app.
