Frustration, traffic and business. Coachella brings it all to the Valley
Business is booming and traffic is congested in the Valley this weekend as the Coachella Music and Arts Festival kicks off.
“One (traffic control officer) told me go, another one told me to move. I try to understand what they are telling me and then there was an argument. I stopped to talk to him. He was aggressive and he cursed at me,” handicap shuttle driver Steve Stepan said.
As festival goers arrived, traffic was backed up. Stepan said he was frustrated after getting mixed signals from traffic control.
Traffic issues have Indio police out in full force and ready for anything. This year, they are cracking down on people parking with fraudulent handicap placards with the help of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
In a residential area near the festival grounds, neighbors said the influx of people brings the good and the bad. Friday’s problem was traffic.
Numbers to call for noise complaints
“It’s kind of crazy because you know there is a lot of traffic making it hard for us to get in here but I love it. I love the attraction here in the Valley and what it brings to us,” Eric Delara said.
One Papa John’s delivery driver said business is up since the start of the weekend. At Neil’s Lounge, employees say people come out for their free shuttle rides to Coachella.
“Festival time of the year we always pick up. It’s a nice boost we get especially during the week where its normally a little bit slower. We definitely get an influx of the employees and the golden voice workers and during the weekend we’ll get a lot of the festival goers,” Joey Ransom of Neil’s Lounge said.
The festival brings both tons of people and lots of opportunities — and residents will have road congestion to deal with until it’s over.
The Indio Police Department said almost all employees are working during the festival, either on patrol in residential areas or near festival grounds. They are joined by many other officers from other agencies.
If residents have noise complaints, they can call their city’s noise complaint hotline.
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