As the moon prepares to throw shade, the Fort Worth Police Department dishes out pointers to keep locals and visitors safe during Monday's rare total solar eclipse, according to a news release. Fort Worth will be plunged into darkness during the celestial event starting around 1:40 p.m., and the cops are on a mission to make sure the once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon doesn't lead to chaos.
City officials and police are urging folks to keep off the roads and have a safe viewing spot locked down because traffic's expected to be more jam-packed than usual, with Texas boasting some of the longest blackout durations in the country, the City of Fort Worth announced. "We encourage our community and visitors to the great City of Fort Worth to avoid the roadways as much as possible during this time, while this is a rare event, we urge people to not stop on the roadways to view the eclipse, do not park on the shoulder or exit your vehicle, and please keep moving," reckons Chief of Police Neil Noakes.
Fort Worth PD, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Highway Patrol, won't be messing around when it comes to keeping the streets clear. Drivers who decide traffic laws don't apply during the eclipse might end up with more to worry about than missing a few seconds of the celestial show. Specifically, the department is warning folks against grinding to a halt on the roads or getting out of their cars to gawk at the sky, and they're also prompting drivers to roll with a full tank in anticipation of higher traffic due to the influx of out-of-towners.
First responders need to bustle unhindered to emergencies, so locals should keep the lanes clear—DriveTexas.org has the latest on traffic conditions for those wondering how the roads are handling the extra load, and no doubt the police, TXDOT, and Texas Highway Patrol will be on patrol ensuring no one's dawdling too much and busting anyone who's bogging down the flow, "a driver may not drive so slowly as to impede the normal and reasonable movement of traffic, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law" stated by the City of Fort Worth. In all the eclipse hoopla, the city's trash service should trot on as normal, so residents are reminded to roll out their carts by the bouncy hour of 7 a.m., but be ready for potential pickup delays—updates will be on the City’s website.
The party isn't solely on the streets—there's a host of local events dotting Fort Worth courtesy of city officials and community partners, aiming to etch the eclipse into memory with organized viewing experiences. You can spot a full roundup of these twilight celebrations over on the City’s website, so plan to ensure you don’t miss out on the astronomical action.
