How to beat the traffic getting to and from Coachella
Weekend 1 of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival officially kicks off today. As festival goers travel in, expect some road closures and delays.
Closures include:
- Avenue 49 between Hjorth Street and Monroe Street
- Avenue 50 between Madison Street and Jackson Street
- Hjorth Street between Avenue 49 and Avenue 50
- Madison Street between Avenue 49 and Avenue 52
On each Monday following the festivals, streets surrounding the festival site and Interstate 10 will be busy with more than 40,000 campers leaving the area. Expect delays and be prepared to use these alternate routes.
- North and south travel, use Washington Street, Jackson Street, Calhoun Street and Golf Center Parkway
- East and west travel, use Highway 111, Fred Waring Drive, Miles Avenue, Dr. Carreon Boulevard and Avenue 54
For festival goers, it's important to note the best times to travel to and from the festival grounds. According to data collected by DoorDash, the best time to arrive to the festival is before 3 p.m. At 2 p.m. only 1/4 of Lyft-taking Coachella attendees have arrived, but by 4 p.m., the number climbs to 2/3. To avoid a late night, leave by 10 p.m. Otherwise, you might end up waiting in traffic that typically doesn't die down until 3 a.m
As for the best place to get picked up, DoorDash data shows that the southwest corner of the Coachella venue (at the intersection of Avenue 52 and Madison Street) has the shortest average wait time. Pickups take 50% longer if you call from the upper right-hand corner of the venue (at the intersection of Monroe Street and Avenue 49).
Stay with News Channel 3 all weekend for live updates from the festival.
