Area police depts. hope for minimal congestion
"If they come in by train or shuttle buses, it's going to be much better for everyone concerned."
The Asbury Park police aren’t the only ones with their hands full this weekend.
Law enforcement officials in Allenhurst, Deal, Loch Arbour, Ocean Grove and Neptune are gearing up for what could be record-breaking crowds in town for the Bamboozle music festival, which starts today at 5 p.m. Up to 40,000 are expected in town each day, but if tickets sell out there could be 60,000 people attending the concert each day.
“Parking’s going to be limited so hopefully everyone’s going to come in by transit,” Allenhurst Police Chief Bob Richter said yesterday. “If they come in by train or shuttle buses, it’s going to be much better for everyone concerned.”
Festival-goers can park at Monmouth Racetrack and pay $10 for a round trip pass on a shuttle bus. NJTransit will also be running on its normal schedule with additional trains at 2 a.m. after tonight and tomorrow night, and 1 a.m. after Sunday’s shows.
For those who wish to park in Asbury Park, streets will be barricaded block by block heading west as parking fills up.
Richter and other chiefs from neighboring towns are primarily concerned with getting people out of town with minimal congestion and traffic jams.
“Primarily, we’re going to keep traffic going north and south,” Richter said. Side streets will be closed during prime entrance and egress times to ensure motorists aren’t lost or driving around neighborhoods.
In Loch Arbour, Allenhurst and Deal, police will be funnelling drivers toward Ocean Avenue and Norwood Avenue.
Allenhurst officers will also be watching the beach to ensure there is no trespassing in private areas, although Richter does not expect to see many people trying to hear the concert from the north, as the speakers on the main stage will be facing south.
The Loch Arbour beach will be closed to the public as usual, said Deal Police Chief Stephen Carasia. Deal handles policing duties for Loch Arbour and Interlaken. Officers will be monitoring the beach, he added.
On Ocean and Edgemont avenues, the department will enforce temporary no-parking rules due to the size of the 70 to 80 shuttle buses they expect to be cruising through town all weekend.
