Parade day traffic proves smooth

Mike Swanson

If traffic trouble for the Laguna Beach Rotary Club’s second grand

prix in September remotely resembles that of the March 1 Patriots Day

Parade, then expect this year’s complaint box to stay virtually

empty.

Last year’s grand prix brought a number of Downtown merchants to

the Oct. 1 City Council meeting to complain that the event devastated

business. Several local residents griped about the terrible traffic

caused by the closing of so many Downtown streets to accommodate the

event.

“People just weren’t ready for [the grand prix],” Laguna Beach

Police Chief Jim Spreine said. “Everybody knows when the parade’s

coming around, so they have time to prepare for it. People here don’t

like being caught off guard.”

Strictly concerning the parade, however, Sgt. Doris Higgins, who

handles traffic control, noted that this year’s problems were

especially few.

“Of the four years I’ve dealt with the parade, this is the first

year I didn’t receive one complaint,” she said.

Higgins attributes the successful limitation of traffic to a large

sign posted on Park Avenue warning motorists that Third Street was

closed in addition to an overall solid job of preparing for the event

early by all involved.

“We plan to follow the same game plan to prepare for the Rotary

Club,” Higgins said.

Spreine said the Patriots Day Parade’s 37 years of existence, in

addition to its March 1 date, may make it too different from the

grand prix, with its youth and September date, to warrant comparison.

“If they’re going to do this event again, then the public needs a

lot of forewarning.”