We understand the concerns around temporary street closures. Our interests are aligned with the community’s desire for auto and pedestrian traffic to flow as best as possible. An arena surrounded by clogged streets doesn’t allow us to achieve our goals of delivering the best possible fan experience and serving as a good neighbor. Langan’s initial analysis suggested that temporary closings of 10th and 11th Streets from Market to Filbert pre and post-event would prevent conflicts between autos and pedestrians and improve the overall traffic flow in the area. Since that analysis, we’ve heard concerns from the public, and based on this feedback, we are analyzing what it would look like without any temporary closures. This is a good example of why we announced the project so far in advance and have spent the time to listen to community feedback to enhance the proposal.
Concerning emergency vehicle routes, if there are any temporary street closures, emergency vehicle routes will not be affected. Crossing guards would be able to move temporary barriers out of the way to allow for buses, ambulances, police, and fire vehicles to pass through. We will also be investing in upgrading the traffic signals in the area to provide emergency vehicle preemption – which allows emergency vehicle drivers to switch lights from red to green to help traffic flow in the case of an emergency.
