[mikiec]

Got this from a friend.

Midtown residents may remember that in April there were a number of traffic and other incidents during the annual Cruisin’ on Central car show at Park Central Mall. While the problems were not directly associated with the Cruisin’ on Central show, but were the result of outside individuals organizing a separate “cruising” event, the fallout from them has resulted in a significant reorganization of the way the car show will be presented this year.

On Saturday, October 8 the car show, now re-christened the Central Avenue Car Show, will again be held at Park Central Mall. The organizer, Nancy Perry, has worked closely with the Phoenix Police Department to implement new measures to avoid the problems that occurred in April. We want to advise you of those measures, as some of them may impact your travel on Central Avenue on that day.

First, barricades will be placed around the perimeter of Park Central Mall to avoid unlimited pedestrian traffic from the sidewalks – there will be only one point of entry into the car show. There will be Phoenix Police Department officers and other security personnel on the premises to enforce the pedestrian entry and maintain a constant flow of pedestrian traffic. No one will be allowed to congregate or set up chairs, etc. on the sidewalk outside the show or, indeed, anywhere along Central Avenue.

Second, both traffic lanes in each direction on Central Avenue will be open to traffic, with Phoenix PD regulating the traffic signals at major intersections to assure that traffic on Central continues to move. This will avoid the traffic jams and opportunities for drag racing or other activities by cruisers that disrupt normal traffic and create numerous other problems.

Finally, there will be a number of motorcycle police officers assigned to the area to be able to respond quickly if any problems do arise and there will be a zero-tolerance policy in effect with regard to violations.

Additional restrictions could be implemented if necessary to restrict entry of non-residents to the Central Avenue corridor. Although we all hope it never gets to that point, if you live in the area you should be sure that you carry with you proof of your address in case you are required to show proof of residency to get onto Central Avenue.

All Midtown residents should be aware of these measures, which will be in effect roughly between late morning and 8:00 p.m. on October 8. In addition, if you observe any dangerous or obstructive behavior by cruisers, you should immediately call the police non-emergency number, 602-262-6151 and report it. If you are a business owner or have a parking lot that is on or near Central Avenue, you should consider blocking off the entry with traffic cones or other barriers, particularly if you expect to have customers looking for a place to park during the day, and have someone on duty to allow legitimate customers or residents to get in when needed.

The Midtown Neighborhood Association has supported Nancy Perry and her car shows for many years and we want to emphasize that we do not hold her responsible for the problems in the past. We appreciate the cooperation and proactive measure taken by Nancy and the Phoenix Police Department and their attention to the needs and concerns of residents and businesses in our area.


Mikiec