Wharf Rat warnings

By Jonathan Riley

DIGBY COURIER

NovaNewsNow.com

When 30,000 visitors drop in, there are bound to be a few disruptions.

That was the message organizers of the Wharf Rat Rally gave to emergency officials Thursday night. “We want to highlight for you the events that may require a little more attention by your departments,” said Neil Pottier.

The rally committee provided a schedule of events to ambulance, fire, police and provincial communication officials and pointed out possible problem areas.

The biggest projected disruptions involve traffic. Officials also mentioned cell phones may connect slower.

DOWNTOWN

The downtown will be closed to all traffic except motorcycles from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The closure zone on Water Street extends from Mount Street to Prince William. Traffic flow will be south to north only.

Organizers are asking all vehicles to be out of the Digby Courier parking lot and Digby Centre parking lot by 10 p.m. Thursday night to allow for the set up of vendors. The parking lots will reopen Monday 8 a.m.

CONWAY on SATURDAY “Last year the traffic coming into Digby was lined up from the lights at Home Hardware all the way to the Bear River bridge,” said one of the emergency officials in attendance. That’s a distance of 10 km.

This year rally organizers are trying to get the word out about the other entrance to Digby. They are encouraging as many people as possible to use the Marshalltown Crossroad into Seabrook.

The traffic back-ups through Conway last year started mid-morning Saturday when the bulk of the riders arrived.

The RCMP are planning to have officers on hand to direct traffic and possibly a cruiser on the 101 with lights flashing to alert unsuspecting drivers to slow down.

BIKER TOURS

The RCMP are planning to assist the tours through a couple intersections. All three tours start at the Tim’s in Digby.

The first tour to Westport will leave Tim’s at 2 p.m. on Friday. Organizers expect in the area of 60 to 100 bikes for this ride.

They will turn right onto Victoria Street and, with RCMP assistance, proceed as a group straight through the lights along Victoria.

Again with RCMP assistance they will turn left at the four-way stop as a group and head out the Neck. Organizers don’t expect any other problems on that ride, as it is a straight shot out the Neck.

The bikers will be using the ferries at Petit Passage and Grand Passage and eating dinner on Brier Island.

The Saturday trip to Bridgetown is expected to be both larger and more complicated traffic-wise. Last year 200 bikers took part but organizers suggest that could double this year.

Two RCMP motorcycles will escort the ride and help control traffic at some intersections.

The bikers will leave Tim’s at 9 a.m. and turn left onto Victoria, left onto St. Mary’s and left onto West. Pottier said the ride is passing in front of Tideview to allow the residents to see some of the action. “We had a request from them because they said last year they could hear it but not see it. So we’re doing that for them.”

The ride will proceed through the downtown, up Carleton and the Racquette Road to Victoria and out to the 101 through Conway.

RCMP and the Department of Transportation will be assisting the bikers to enter the highway at exit 26.

The tour will continue through Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown.

There is no Sunday ride but a final trip will leave from Tim’s Monday at 11 a.m. and head for Weymouth.

They will be turning left in a group from Victoria to Highway 303 (the road through Conway) and then entering the highway heading west at exit 26.

At approximately 11:30 a.m. they will be turning left into Weymouth at exit 27 on highway 101.

SLOW CELL PHONE

Terry Canning, emergency communications coordinator with public works and field services warns that cell phone use might also be slower than normal. “The cell phone system has a finite capacity, meaning it can only handle so many calls at once. I would be surprised if that many people show up and it doesn’t cause some delays.”

Canning says callers at the Rolling Stones concert in Halifax experienced delays of 10 and 15 minutes when connecting to the system. “You dial the number, you push send, then you wait. We call that a ‘latency period.’ I expect we will experience some latency this weekend.”

IN THE HARBOUR Marine traffic should be aware that a jet ski stunt show will take place three times this weekend along the Digby waterfront. (Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons)

Not only will the boats be travelling at great speeds but also considerable wake will be generated.

Viewers on shore on the boardwalk between Tidal Boatworks and the Dockside should be aware that they might get wet.