Doral residents seek answers on traffic and access before December G20 summit

The prospect of traffic congestion and restricted neighborhood access brought dozens of Doral residents to a town hall Wednesday ahead of the G20 summit in December. With world leaders expected at Trump National Doral, residents asked how security arrangements would affect their ability to travel around the city and reach their homes.

The summit is scheduled for Dec. 14 and 15, and several streets are expected to close during the two-day gathering. Multiple schools have already indicated plans to conduct classes virtually on those dates. Wednesday’s meeting was the first of two scheduled town halls addressing concerns before the event.

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga joined Secret Service representatives and local law enforcement to answer questions about navigating the closures. Residents asked whether traffic from 41st Street would be redirected onto 33rd Street and whether police could help manage congestion. Another question concerned the possibility of issuing residents identification or badges to make access to their communities easier.

Security checkpoints near President Trump’s South Florida golf resort were another focus of the discussion. With prominent figures, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, expected to attend, residents wanted to understand what inspections would involve. One asked whether occupants would need to leave their vehicles and how they should behave during a check. Secret Service representative Sonny Berrios said the checkpoints would be used for vehicle inspections.

Business owners also raised concerns about the effect of restricted access during the holiday shopping season. One owner warned that security measures could reduce customer visits and sales for local businesses already facing difficult economic conditions. The concern added a commercial dimension to questions largely focused on residents’ daily travel and access.

Fraga said the city was working with incoming delegations to promote local businesses. Her response addressed owners’ worries about losing customers while the summit brings international visitors to Doral. The discussion reflected concerns about how preparations for the gathering could affect both neighborhood movement and business activity.

Some attendees also welcomed the opportunity to host the summit. One resident congratulated the city and described the event as recognition of Doral’s and Miami’s growing importance. Berrios, meanwhile, said meeting directly with the community was itself part of the security planning process.

Many people at Wednesday’s town hall were residents of Doral Estates, the neighborhood immediately beside Trump National Doral. City leaders said those residents would have a separate meeting devoted to their neighborhood as preparations for the December summit continue.