What you need to know about festival season traffic

As festival season draws nearer, local police are preparing for the influx of crowds and the traffic that clogs the valley’s streets around this time every year.

Construction vehicles can be seen whirring by as crews put the finishing touches on the Empire Polo Club ahead of Coachella and Stagecoach next week.

They aren’t the only ones preparing for festival season.

Indio police have already started implementing measures to alleviate some of the anticipated congestion, and are working to inform festival-goers and residents of the best possible routes.

“Informing the public of what routes to take, if they’re locals to avoid the concert traffic, and all the concert goers as to what street they should take to go to the concert,” said Benjamin Guitron, public information officer for IPD.

For the upcoming Coachella festival, police are expecting more than 100,000 people to flock to Indio, temporarily doubling the city’s population.

” There will be a heavy presence in both law enforcement and private folks to help us with security with traffic safety and with the education of the public to make sure that they know the best route to go to,” said Indio Police Officer Gabriela Mendoza.

Temporary signals have been installed along Avenue 50 outside the Empire Polo Club to help alleviate congestion with both pedestrians and vehicles.

Police recommend using Highway 111, which is now expanded from two lanes to three.

“We encourage our locals especially to use that as an alternative route,” said IPD officer Gabriela Mendoza.

Mendoza suggests avoiding streets most impacted by festival traffic.

“Avoid driving on Avenue 48, Avenue 49, Avenue 50, and Avenue 52 when traveling east and or west,” Mendoza said.

IPD is also prepared with contingency plans just in case, like last year when high-winds delayed entry to the camping site for the first day of Coachella.

Campers were forced to sleep in cars and parking lots across the city.

“In a situation like that, there will be locations throughout the city… if the need arises,” Mendoza said.

IPD is also working to produce social media PSA’s on other festival topics, like lost and found.

“All the lost and found on the concert site is being handled there rather than at our city police department,” Guitron said.

And still, amid all the festival frenzy, police will continue to serve their city.

“We have to look at ways to lessen the impacts to be available for our customer service, being out there for the public,” Guitron said.

You can reach Jake on Twitter, Facebook or email him at jake.ingrassia@kesq.com.