Goldenvoice tells Indio council it will open additional lanes, add toll plaza to ease Coachella traffic

Goldenvoice officials apologized to the Indio City Council for traffic problems during last weekend's Coachella festival and described new operational changes they said would reduce vehicle backups starting the next morning.

The company’s senior public safety executive told the council the promoter plans to open an additional northern entry point and add 12 toll lanes to processing, increase staffing and maintain traffic flow throughout the day. Council members thanked Goldenvoice and stressed continued coordination among all public-safety partners.

Why it matters: traffic from Coachella and Stagecoach has repeatedly affected Indio neighborhoods in recent years. City and festival operators said they are working to reduce community impacts by changing processing patterns, adding staff and improving inter-jurisdictional coordination.

George Cunningham, Goldenvoice’s senior vice president of public safety, said the promoter had met with local police and neighboring cities after the recent problems and proposed specific operational changes. “We’re opening up 12 additional toll booths,” Cunningham said. He described the new northern entry — referred to by Goldenvoice as the “2A” location — as a way to distribute vehicles across multiple entry points and reduce backups in residential streets.

Cunningham said the company expects the northern entry, together with existing plazas, to process several thousand vehicles during peak camping entry periods and that the company would coordinate in “unified command” with partners if additional pressure developed on neighborhood streets.

Council members and city staff asked follow-up questions about how many lanes had been staffed during the incident, what would change this weekend and how the plan would be adapted for Stagecoach, which attracts different vehicle types. Cunningham acknowledged staffing shortfalls during the earlier event and said Goldenvoice had adjusted staffing and procedures to ensure the additional lanes would be open.

Councilmember Ortiz and Councilmember Furman both praised the long-standing relationship between Goldenvoice and the city while urging continued attention to residents’ immediate concerns. “We appreciate your work ... and the changes you’re proposing,” Furman said.

Several council members underscored that festival operations are a multi-agency effort and thanked Indio Police and other first responders for their roles. The council also encouraged Goldenvoice to continue sharing operational details with neighboring jurisdictions and the city before each festival weekend.

The council did not take any formal action; Goldenvoice’s presentation and the council’s discussion were informational and part of ongoing event coordination.