Learn about April 8 eclipse’s predicted impact on Marble Falls
Marble Falls residents can find out more about the local impact of the April 8 total solar eclipse during three separate town halls on Feb. 8. The city-hosted informational events are at 9 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. at Lakeside Pavilion, 305 Buena Vista Drive.
Public safety officials and members of the city’s Parks and Recreation and tourism departments will share their expectations and plans for the eclipse. Reserve your spot for any of the three meetings online.
“I’m hoping (the eclipse) remains an event and doesn’t turn itself into an emergency,” Mayor Dave Rhodes told DailyTrib.com. “That’s really what we’re all hoping for.”
The mayor estimates over 10,000 people will flock to the Marble Falls area to view the eclipse. The city’s population is around 7,000.
“We’re going to draw from Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and parts beyond because we’re right in the (path of totality),” Rhodes said.
Traffic flow — specifically after the eclipse — is one of the top concerns for the city.
“People will funnel in over time, but they’ll all leave at once,” he said. “It’s going to be a traffic nightmare on that Tuesday afternoon (the day after the eclipse, which is on a Monday). I don’t know how else to put it.”
The city plans to close lanes on the U.S. 281 bridge to provide access for emergency vehicles.
“We’re going to block off lanes on the bridge just so that we have emergency services capabilities going north and south,” Rhodes said. “It might impede traffic some, but you have to do that because emergency services come first.”
A strain on the area’s cellular network is also anticipated.
“With that many people, our cellular communications will not be capable, so we have brought in extra capacity for cellular (communications) for emergency services,” Rhodes said.
Roadside camping and trespassing in the moments leading up to the eclipse might be commonplace, he said.
“There’s going to be a point of time when everyone stops because they want to watch the eclipse — no matter where the heck they are,” he said. “They’re all going to want to see that four-and-a-half minutes of nirvana.”
While officials predict an uptick in commerce to local businesses, no plans exist for officials to promote Marble Falls as a viewing destination.
“We’re not going to actively put out invitations,” Rhodes laughed.
1 thought on “Learn about April 8 eclipse’s predicted impact on Marble Falls”
Comments are closed.
The Mayor is not wrong about the departing traffic. I was in Missouri for the last one, camped in a large area adjacent to a parking area (a field) with thousands of vehicles. It took over an hour to just get to a main roadway and going South was often 30mph traffic down to occasional standstills. If you live here, just stay home for the hours after the sun pops back out.