Erie prepares for crush of solar eclipse enthusiasts

On Monday, April 8, Erie residents will discover the impact just a few minutes of darkness can have.

Depending on how many people travel to Erie for the upcoming total solar eclipse — local tourism officials are estimating anywhere between 50,000 and 200,000 — the city of just over 94,000 could double in population, regaining its former spot as Pennsylvania’s third-largest town, at least for a few days.

And that means lots of locals — from residents to grocery store owners to the police — are preparing for the busiest long weekend they’ve likely ever seen.

“Our hotels are at 95% capacity right now,” said Visit Erie communications director Christine Temple. “We’re the closest city in the total eclipse path to major metro areas like Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania as a whole is expected to get between 56,000 and 200,000 visitors, and common sense dictates the majority of them will be coming to Erie.”

For Erie police Chief Daniel Spizarny, preparation for the eclipse began with a lot of research.

“More than a year ago, we started checking with communities who’ve experienced this before,” Spizarny said. “Our predictions are that it’s going to be a group larger than we’ve ever seen, so the biggest thing is getting the message out to everyone.”

Police and emergency service providers are working out the logistics of moving such a large number of people through the city over the course of three or four days, and in many cases that means literally trying to keep the roads clear.

“We’ve spoken with some of the larger employers in the area to try and treat it almost like a holiday,” Spizarny said. “Obviously there are essential employees who have to be at their businesses, but we’re trying to minimize our own footprint and we’re working with state police and surrounding departments on potential traffic plans — especially making sure our emergency vehicles can get anyplace they need to.”

One might wonder why the path of totality is such a draw, especially when a fair portion of Western Pennsylvania will be able to see the moon covering more than 90% of the sun.

“You wouldn’t think there’s that much of a difference,” Temple said. “But even at 97%, you can still see your shadow on the ground. It’s such a dramatic change at 100% — it’s almost like flipping a light switch. It’s completely different and pretty mind-blowing.”

Todd Young of Erie is the general manager for Oliver’s Rooftop, a restaurant situated on the banks of Lake Erie. Young said he is taking a “wait-and-see” approach to the eclipse crowds.

“The local traffic situation is the biggest wrench in our plans right now,” he said. “A lot of what’s going on is still in the planning stages, so where and when traffic is shut down will determine our final plans.”

Both Young and Spizarny said the city’s parking situation is going to be challenging.

“Unlike Pittsburgh, we don’t have the parking to host a massive event, and we’re expecting our lots to be full early,” Young said. “We’re on the eighth floor of the Hampton Inn, so we’re thinking of perhaps offering reservations or an exclusive event to folks who are staying at the hotel. We have a nice bird’s-eye view of the bay and we’ll have a great view of the eclipse. It’s just a matter of who will be able to get to us.”

“People coming up I-79 will be headed right to the waterfront,” Spizarny said. “So we’re making some extreme plans to deal with whatever may happen. It’s important to let people know that this will be busier than any other event we’ve had.”

At Serafin’s Food Market, owner Dan Serafin compared his situation to one that’s familiar for Erie residents.

“We’re kind of treating it like a big snowstorm is coming,” Serafin said. “We’re expecting a big three- or four-day run on groceries. But if there’s as much traffic as they’re talking about, we may see the locals stocking up on stuff rather than tourists.”

Spizarny said that’s probably the case.

“I wouldn’t try to go to the grocery store at 2 p.m.,” he said. “But as long as people know and plan in advance, everything should work out all right.”