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Timing Of Garth Brooks Shows Prompts Traffic Questions

Lexington officials are bracing for a new kind of traffic challenge on October 31 and November 1.

With more than 80,000 people expected downtown over the course of two nights for Garth Brooks’ return to Lexington, the event would easily be a traffic puzzle on its own. But there’s another complication. Rupp Arena Management Director Carl Hall cautions that, unlike other high-traffic attractions like the Boys Sweet 16, the back-to-back shows on Friday and Saturday leave little downtime between events.

"I've got about 45 minutes to an hour from the end of the first one to letting people in to the second one," he says. "So in that short, narrow window of time, parking became the first obvious issue that we had to face, to figure out what to do all with the cars. Because I can't get my lots cleared fast enough to fulfill the need for the second."

To help alleviate that problem, arena and city officials are banking on two strategies: shuttling concert-goers from an extra parking lot at the corner of Old Frankfort Pike and New Circle to the event and persuading fans to arrive early for pre-show concerts and festivals at Heritage Hall and Cheapside Pavilion.

Ticket holders are encouraged to text Garth to 82945 or check rupparena.com/garth for updates on traffic plans and events.

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.