Officials preach patience with parking, traffic for Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta

MANATEE -- Anyone who has attended a major spectator event knows a little more patience than normal is required. That's what organizers are advising with the Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta just two days away.

Heavy traffic into downtown Bradenton and Palmetto is expected as motorists seek a limited number of parking spaces.

With the Green Bridge and some roads on both sides of the river closing for the entire day, and 10,000 spaces outlined for an event predicted to draw somewhere between 75,000 and 100,000 people, patience will be the proverbial virtue.

"Come early, be patient and be prepared," said Bradenton Downtown Development Authority Executive Director David Gustafson.

Organizers have selected parking lots only within a 15-minute walk of the regatta's venue on the Manatee River. Many of those lots include those for local churches, government agencies and businesses. Most of the lots will be run by nonrofit organizations for a small fee.

Signs directing people to those lots are lacking, however. Gustafson said there just wasn't enough time and funding to have them in place, but regatta parking will be

clearly marked by the various nonprofits or volunteers from the DeSoto Historical Society.

Updated parking maps are available at Bradenton.com/riverwalk-regatta.

Manatee County's traffic engineering management team will be working Saturday observing live camera feeds.

"They'll be working and monitoring all the traffic signals in the area, and if they have to give a light more green time to keep the main lines moving, they will make those decisions on a situation basis," said Gustafson.

Shuttle service from locations farther away from Riverwalk will not be available, but organizers also suggest checking the normal bus schedules for Manatee County Area Transit, as bus service is available to and along Manatee Avenue.

"It's going to be a gorgeous day," Gustafson said. "So bring your suntan lotion and come prepared to have fun. Nothing will make me happier than to see moms and dads holding onto the hands of their children and see those kids smiling from ear to ear. That's what it's all about."

Road closures

The good news is that all downtown road construction will either be completed or suspended with preparations made to have the roads cleared by Saturday.

According to Nick Planin, project manager for B&I Contractors Inc., road construction work in relation to the Manatee County water chiller plant and the subsequent city mainline work will not resume until Feb. 9. The one exception, according to Bradenton Public Works Director Claude Tankersley, is the ongoing construction at 13th Avenue East and Third Avenue East.

Some other streets will closed because of the regatta. The Green Bridge will close at 4 a.m. until 11 p.m. Road closures that also will last throughout the day are Ninth and 12th streets west in Bradenton. Ninth Street West will be closed from Manatee Avenue to the Green Bridge. Old Main Street/12th Street West also will be closed from Manatee Avenue for both the regatta and the Farmers Market.

Third Avenue West between Ninth Street West and US 301/First Street West will be open to eastbound traffic only. Westbound traffic will only be open to local traffic. Police officers will monitor the closures and access points. All other roads will be open.

"Pay attention to traffic, be patient with our visitors and law enforcement officers and have fun," said Tankersley.

According to Palmetto Public Works Director Allen Tusing, the final detour for southbound traffic will be at Seventh Street West and Eighth Avenue West. Tusing said the city will close Riverside Drive to the east and to the west of Ninth Avenue West for the entire day, but Riverside will be open to local traffic.

Riverside Drive between Ninth and 12th Avenues west will closed from 6:45-9:30 a.m. for the St. Stephen's 5K run.

Boaters

Boaters will have their own traffic to contend with throughout the day.

The Riverwalk day dock in Bradenton is off limits to boaters and pedestrians, as it is part of the racing control center. Boaters can contact Pier 22, Regatta Pointe or Tarpon Pointe for docking information.

Boaters will be allowed on the water during the race but only in select areas. Gustafson said the U.S. Coast Guard will have bucket lines across the river that boaters will not be allowed to cross during the races. But it will be open at select times during down time for water events so boaters can cross.

"The boating community can park on the east and west of the railroad tracks and on the west side of the Green Bridge," said Gustafson. "We'll have the Coast Guard and 16 law enforcement boats out there making sure no one crosses where or when they aren't supposed to. The Coast Guard will act as the red and green light of the bucket line."

Mark Young, Herald urban affairs reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7041 or follow him on Twitter @urbanmark2014.

This story was originally published February 5, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Officials preach patience with parking, traffic for Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta."