Pittsburgh officials prepare for crowds, heavy traffic ahead of Taylor Swift, Juneteenth

Pittsburgh Public Safety officials Wednesday said they’re prepared for large crowds, heavy traffic and road closures as Juneteenth celebrations and Taylor Swift stadium concerts are expected to bring thousands to the city this weekend.

“Our public safety bureaus have been working very closely with the organizers of both Juneteenth and the Taylor Swift concerts,” public safety spokesperson Cara Cruz said.

Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt said officials are prepared for the events and urged participants to make necessary preparations.

Pittsburgh’s public safety bureaus will be “fully staffed,” he said, including some Pittsburgh police officers working overtime shifts during the weekend. Pennsylvania State Police, city crossing guards, city river rescue, county police and the county sheriff’s office will assist.

City officials are anticipating “some of the largest crowds we’ve seen in quite some time” at the Juneteenth and Taylor Swift events, Schmidt said. Downtown, Point State Park and North Shore will likely be the busiest areas.

He encouraged people attending either event to give themselves extra travel time because of anticipated traffic and road closures, which are expected along the Juneteenth parade route Saturday. People also should have a plan for parking, park further from the event venue and walk or use public transit, he said.

People who don’t have Swift concert tickets should stay away from the Acrisure Stadium, Schmidt said. There will be no designated area for people to listen to the show from outside the venue, he said, and extra people who aren’t attending the concert will only exacerbate crowd and traffic issues that already are anticipated.

We know all too well how much everyone wants to hear @taylorswift13, but please don’t gather outside of the stadium if you do not have a ticket for #PittsburghTSTheErasTour.

Learn more: https://t.co/IteL0iroTQ pic.twitter.com/rqkY3EUNL2

— Acrisure Stadium (@AcrisureStadium) June 14, 2023

Schmidt said people should be sure to keep their belongings on them at all times. He said people should travel lightly without many items that could be lost or stolen, and he urged people not to set down bags or other belongings unattended.

There will be additional lighting around events happening this weekend.

Schmidt said Taylor Swift concertgoers should be prepared for massive crowds and little to no available parking. On-street parking won’t be permitted, he said, and parking garages on the North Shore will be open only to ticketholders for the concert.

He urged people who work in the area to do so remotely if possible Friday and Saturday.

Concertgoers also will need to abide by the bag policy in place at Acrisure Stadium.

Police Chief Larry Scirotto said about 50 officers will staff the inside of the stadium each night of the concert, with about 25 more outside. EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist said officials are planning to have more than 20 EMS personnel on site each day, with transports waiting outside the stadium.

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There will be parking restrictions and closures along the parade route for the city’s Juneteenth parade Saturday. The parade will form on Crawford Street between Bedford and Centre avenues, an area that will see road closures by 8 a.m. Saturday ahead of the parade’s start at 10:30.

The parade route will turn right onto Centre Avenue, left onto Sixth Avenue, right onto Fifth Avenue and left on Liberty Avenue before concluding at Commonwealth Place.

Gilchrist said an ambulance would follow the parade and EMS personnel would be available throughout the Juneteenth celebrations.

Public safety officials said private security will conduct bag checks at Point State Park for the fireworks display Monday. Prohibited items at the park include alcohol, narcotics, laser pointers, weapons, explosives, ammunition and grills, officials said.

There were questions last week surrounding whether Juneteenth event organizers would have the private security required at Point State Park. Schmidt confirmed police and additional security would be present, but declined to say whether the additional security came from the event organizers, the city or the state agency that oversees the park.

He said there would be extra police officers patrolling the Downtown area after the Juneteenth fireworks display.

“Juneteenth has been going on for 10 years,” he said. “We’ve never had any violence issues or concerns with Juneteenth.”