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Traffic Delays In Downtown Tarpon Likely Sunday
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Published: March 27, 2009
Updated:
TARPON SPRINGS - Travelers not interested in art or parades should stay away from downtown Tarpon Springs on Sunday afternoon if they want to avoid heavy congestion.
The Police Department is reminding motorists that revelers participating in this year's Greek Independence Day Parade will congregate along Pinellas Avenue, as Alt. 19 is also known, between Orange Street and the Sponge Docks, from just before noon to around 3 p.m. March 29.
Starting around 1 p.m., the parade, with hundreds of marchers and dozens of floats, will proceed north from St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral along Pinellas Avenue, then turn onto Dodecanese Boulevard and head to the Sponge Docks.
The parade takes place while visitors likely will be streaming into the city to view the second day of the annual Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce Fine Art Show, in Craig Park.
Chamber of Commerce President Sue Thomas says having both events in the city at the same time is not as bad as it might sound. People arriving early Sunday should find a place to park and have the potential of enjoying both the art show and parade, she says.
Police, meanwhile, say they will have both events covered.
The department is urging would-be art show visitors to stay off Pinellas Avenue between noon and 3 p.m. Sunday and take an alternative route to the park on Spring Bayou. In addition, there will be no parking on Orange Street between the bayou and Safford Avenue until after the parade, police say.
People driving to the arts show should take U.S. 19 to East Tarpon Avenue and then head west. Once they reach the intersection of East Tarpon and Pinellas avenues motorist should consider turning left, onto southbound Pinellas Avenue, because West Tarpon Avenue is often snarl with art show traffic, police say.
Motorists, however, will not be able to turn right, onto northbound Pinellas Avenue from East Tarpon Avenue, because it will be blocked for the parade, police note.
On Sunday anyone hoping to attend either event should arrive by mid-morning to find less traffic congestion and available parking, police say.
For art show visitors who want to avoid driving into downtown Sunday, the Tarpon Trolley will ferry visitors from a temporary parking lot in the field on Walton Avenue behind Publix and St. Timothy Lutheran Church, to Craig Park.
Motorists should also expect some traffic congestion along Pinellas Avenue downtown on the first day of the art festival tomorrow, Saturday, in the vicinity of Orange Street, Tarpon Avenue and Court Street.
Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.
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