Susan Dickson

Drivers in downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill on Friday evening should be prepared for gridlock, as thousands of out-of-town visitors stream in for Halloween.

Chapel Hill officials are trying to discourage out-of-town visitors from coming to this year’s Halloween celebration because of public-safety concerns associated with large crowds. Last year, about 80,000 attended the Halloween celebration and the town expects about the same number this year.

To discourage out-of-town visitors from coming to town, Chapel Hill Transit will no longer run shuttles from park-and-ride lots to Franklin Street. As a result, officials expect heavy traffic coming toward downtown Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

Capt. J.G. Booker of the Carrboro Police Department said police will be stationed at key points around Carrboro to try to ensure that those driving into downtown Carrboro are going to a Carrboro business or residence, adding that those driving into town to get to the Franklin Street celebration will be diverted around downtown.

“We cannot have our downtown area in total and absolute gridlock,” he said. “We’re directing traffic around us.”

Booker said he expects police to set up perimeter point stations around 7 or 8 p.m., depending on the volume of traffic coming into town. Officers will be stationed on Estes Drive, South Greensboro Street and other locations around Carrboro.

Carrboro Police will also monitor the municipal lots in Carrboro to try to prevent visitors from parking to walk to Franklin Street. If business owners or residents find cars parked illegally on their private property or blocking access to property, they should call the police and can call a tow truck, Booker added.

“The town is not in any way trying to close down Carrboro,” Booker said. “We’re just trying to make sure that the event in Chapel Hill doesn’t cause issues here that might affect public safety.”

Booker encourages residents to walk or ride bikes Friday evening if possible, but cautioned that pedestrians and cyclists should wear reflective clothing. Parents should make sure their kids have on some kind of reflective clothing as well, he added.

“Make sure you’re easy to see, for your personal safety,” he said.
Booker also reminds residents that Halloween is also a celebration for children.

“We’ve got lots of little ones out there trick-or-treating … so make sure you’re mindful of that,” he said.

Chapel Hill

In Chapel Hill, inbound traffic on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard from Estes Drive toward downtown and on East Franklin Street from Estes Drive toward downtown will be restricted to one lane, and one lane will be reserved for emergency vehicles starting at 8 p.m. Motorists trying to come downtown from Columbia Street will be diverted at Manning Drive. Traffic coming in from South Road will be diverted along Ridge Road and back to Fordham Boulevard.

From 9 p.m. until midnight, the following streets will be closed to vehicles: Franklin Street from Raleigh Street to Roberson Street, Columbia Street from Rosemary Street to Cameron Avenue, Raleigh Street from East Franklin Street to Cameron Avenue and Henderson Street from East Rosemary Street to East Franklin Street. Residential streets around downtown will only be open to people who live on those streets and their guests.

Starting at 6 p.m., the town will begin towing cars parked on the streets that will be closed.

Bars and restaurants on Franklin Street will charge a minimum $5 cover charge starting at 10 p.m. and will close their doors to new patrons starting at 1 a.m., as part of the town’s efforts to limit alcohol sales.

Several items are prohibited from the downtown area during the Halloween celebration, including alcoholic beverages, weapons, glass bottles, paint, fireworks, explosives, flammable substances, animals, coolers or anything that could be used as or mistaken for a weapon.

For more information, visit www.townofchapelhill.org/halloween