Heat Parade Of Champions Set For Monday Morning
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A big win deserves a big party and now that the Miami Heat are the 2012 NBA World Champions, all that's left is the championship parade which will take place Monday.
For the second time, the City of Miami will host a Parade of Champions for the Miami Heat.
"Yeah I'm totally going," said 11-year-old Heat fan Jazlynn Lopez. "Because it's a celebration and you can scream and shout."
Parade organizers and city officials met Friday morning to plan the big event and decided Monday was the day to celebrate. That means die hard Heat fans may have to miss work.
"Yeah, I'll have to. I work in Atlanta so I have to skip work that day, said fan Greg Morris.
Planning a parade this big is no easy task. Organizers said they looked back at the 2006 event and made major improvements.
"We do want the crowd to understand to please line up. It's a longer route this year so there's more space for people because we want to make sure that everybody has a good viewing and vantage point," said Kim Stone, general manager of the AmericanAirlines Arena.
The overall celebration will start at 9 a.m. and then the parade will get rolling at 11 a.m. and last until 12:30 p.m.
"We just ask people to be in position by 11:00, really pay attention to the route, the route is very different from 2006 So if you guys can help us, let them know it's very different from 2006, we're going point to point, we're not doing a loop, that's gone," explained Stone.
The parade route will be as follows: everything starts at the corner of SW 8th Street & 2nd Avenue, the parade moves east on 8th Street, then north on Brickell Avenue across the bridge and north on Biscayne Boulevard into the AmericanAirlines Arena via NE 8th Street.
At 12:30 p.m., the team will go inside the AAA for a private party for season ticket holders only. The season-ticket holder event will not be broadcast on the screen outside the AAA.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: MIAMI HEAT NBA CHAMPIONS
For those who come out to enjoy the parade, emergency management teams want to make sure folks take note of the hot weather.
In 2006, they responded to 90 calls for heat distress and dehydration.
"So we want to ensure if there is very sunny, very hot weather for this parade, we hope that people prepare accordingly. They come with bottles of water and they come prepared to hydrate themselves," said Chief Joseph Zahralban, Emergency Manager City of Miami.
The City of Miami announced Friday that the following parking lots will be open at 7 a.m. on Monday for parade-goers:
- Along Biscayne Boulevard, between N.E. 4th and 1st Streets, Lot 19 ($20)
- Chopin Plaza, area of Hotel InterContinental Miami, Lot 20 ($20)
- Old Port Boulevard, adjacent to north side of Bayside Marketplace, Lot 301 ($20)
- Adrienne Arsht Center, off N.E. 13th Street and 2nd Avenue, Lot C ($20)
- College Station Garage, off N.E. 3rd Street and 2nd Avenue, Garage 3 ($15)
For fans who want to take public transportation to the parade, the City of Miami has issued a revised transit schedule.
Metrorail Service:
- Trains will run every 15 minutes, but service will be supplemented with additional trains to facilitate travel to the celebration. Patrons are encouraged to use the web-based 'Train Tracker' service to see when the next trains will be approaching their station.
Metromover Service:
- Metromover will be running frequent service with two-car trains on the Inner, Brickell and Omni loops.
Paying Metrorail fare:
- At select Metrorail stations, one faregate will be designated as an 'express pay' lane where passengers can drop $2 in a cash box to pay for a one-way trip on Metrorail without having to use an EASY Card or EASY Ticket.
An 'express pay' lane will be available at the following stations from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.:
- Dadeland South
- Dadeland North
- South Miami
- Tri-Rail (transfer station)
- Hialeah
- Okeechobee
And at the following stations, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for the return trip from the parade:
- Brickell
- Government Center
If using an 'express pay' lane, parade-bound patrons are asked to bring the exact fare in cash as no change will be provided. No receipts or transfers will be issued, and all those using cash to pay their fare will receive assistance to exit at the Government Center and Brickell stations where they can transfer free to Metromover.
Patrons can exit at the following Metromover stations to reach the various parade locations:
- Brickell
- Eighth Street
- Fifth Street
- Bayfront Park
- College/Bayside
To reach the American Airlines Arena:
- Freedom Tower
- Park West
Patrons who have a 1-Month EASY Card, or a loaded EASY Card or EASY Ticket, can still use their cards or tickets to pay for their Metrorail fare at the regular faregates. Patrons who need to transfer to Metrobus will need to use an EASY Card or EASY Ticket to pay for their bus transfer.
Due to road closures in the downtown Miami and Brickell areas, several Metrobus routes will be detoured, including routes 3, 11, 77, C and S.
For more information on the enhanced Metrorail and Metromover service, or on the Metrobus routes being detoured, patrons can call 305-891-3131, weekdays, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. TTY users can call 305-499-8971.
Transit patrons are also encouraged to visit www.miamidade.gov/transit, or download the free iPhone app 'Miami-Dade Transit Tracker'.
