Parade organizers outline route, closures and parking for Sunnyside neighborhood
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Summary
Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee volunteers described a new route that avoids railroad crossings, estimated large crowds, and asked to use Apollo Middle School for overflow parking; organizers detailed street-closure and volunteer staffing plans.
Representatives of the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee briefed the Sunnyside board on the parade route, safety coordination with police and fire, and parking plans that affect Sunnyside neighborhoods.
Russ Kritemeyer, the committee’s publicity-and-marketing chair, said the event is volunteer-run and the route change was prompted by the railroad's request that organizers stop crossing the tracks. Boyd Gertsch, who identified himself as a parade operations chair, walked the board through the route, closure windows and staging areas.
Organizers said they anticipate a high turnout on parade day — they estimated close to 150,000 spectators — and explained that streets will be closed early (a typical closure schedule begins pre-dawn for participant parking). They described a volunteer-driven parking plan for trailers and participants at a church lot and requested the board’s permission to use Apollo Middle School parking as overflow for participant vehicles; organizers said they would reimburse district security costs and provide volunteer traffic control.
Board members asked about emergency-access plans and coordination with the Tucson Fire and Police departments; organizers said a command center would be placed near Drexel and Nogales Highway, fire and police will be positioned along the route and organizers hold coordination meetings with public safety agencies in the days before the parade.
The board thanked the parade organizers; no board action on the presentation was requested at the meeting.
