ORLANDO, Fla. – The 25th annual Florida Classic pitting FAMU against BCU in Orlando has prompted deputies and police to designate special event zones near Camping World Stadium.
Orange Blossom Trail from Colonial Drive to State Road 408 will be designated a special event zone by Orlando police from Nov. 16-20.
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Orange County deputies will do the same on Colonial Drive from Tampa Avenue to Hiawassee Road, John Young Parkway from SR-408 to W.D. Judge Drive and Old Winter Garden Road from John Young Parkway to Ferguson Drive, lasting from 8 p.m. on Nov. 16 to 8 a.m. on Nov. 20.
The Florida Blue Florida Classic happens on Saturday, part of a full weekend of events that draws tens of thousands of people and is expected to have an economic impact upwards of $30 million.
The purpose of the zones is to dissuade historically-observed “extraordinary traffic congestion” during events such as the Florida Classic by threatening harsher penalties for traffic infractions, as police put it. Orlando’s zone will be marked with signage stating, “Special Event Zone – All Fines Doubled. Vehicles Subject to Impoundment for Traffic Infractions and Violations.” The law itself was added to Florida officers’ toolkits in 2022 and saw some use during last year’s Florida Classic weekend, too.
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If a street is designated as a special event zone, parking lots and other property immediately adjacent to it will be part of the zone as well, including private property, according to police.
The Orlando Police Department wants people to be aware that while they are not prohibited from entering the special event zone, committing traffic infractions in these zones will bring heavier fines, and could lead to having your vehicle impounded, and all the costs associated with that process.
Orlando Police Department | Nov. 15, 2023 Special Event Zones in Effect November 16th to the 20th
We saw Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood use the law in June ahead of an unpermitted event called “Daytona Truck Meet 2023,″ designating a large special event zone where past unsanctioned events have reportedly cost Daytona Beach tens of thousands of dollars in police overtime.
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