From staff reports

CHAPEL HILL -- In years past, the dress-up crowds that filled Franklin Street on Halloween could anticipate bumping into -- or, possibly more accurately, squeezing past -- costumed characters ranging from the Mario Brothers of video game fame, to Rubik's Cubes or Poison Ivy from the Batman cinematic series.

Town officials don't want to see such creativity crash or the revelry rained on. But as they continue efforts to shrink the size of huge crowds that have spilled into the Franklin Street corridor for Homegrown Halloween festivities in years past, they are ratcheting up alerts to inform participants about changes to the fun event.

A news conference was held on Friday to lay out the revised plan.

Because Homegrown Halloween on Franklin Street is geared to a local audience, and because safety and cost factors became so prominent during the event's heyday, a number of measures will be implemented this Oct. 31.

Restrictions:

- Restricted access to downtown through lane and street closures.

- No special event park and ride bus shuttles.

- Parking will be essentially unavailable downtown.

- Police plan to begin reopening Franklin Street at midnight.

- Chapel Hill Transit will run its usual bus routes, although some will be rerouted due to the traffic diversion plan. The Safe Ride bus routes normally in place on the weekends will be available to transport community members and UNC students away from downtown.

- Downtown bars and restaurants will close their doors at 1 a.m. to new patrons. They also will charge a minimum $5 cover charge to patrons not attending private events. In addition, downtown convenience stores that sell alcohol either will close their doors or stop selling alcohol at 1 a.m.

- Although Daylight-Saving Time (DST) ends on Nov. 1, the clocks will not roll back for this event. (1 a.m. will not become midnight.)

Traffic Control

- Southbound traffic on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will be merged into one lane prior to the intersection of Estes Drive.

- Westbound traffic on East Franklin Street will be merged into one lane prior to the intersection of Estes Drive.

- Westbound lanes on South Road will be detoured onto Ridge Road to Manning Drive.

- Westbound traffic on Manning Drive will be detoured south onto S. Columbia Street.

- Northbound traffic on S. Columbia Street will be detoured east onto Manning Drive.

- South Columbia Street will be closed to northbound traffic at Manning Drive.

- Some downtown streets will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at 9 p.m., including: Franklin Street, from Raleigh to Roberson streets; Columbia Street, from Rosemary Street to Cameron Avenue; Raleigh Street, from East Franklin to Cameron Avenue; Henderson Street, from East Rosemary to East Franklin streets.

- Residential streets near downtown will be closed except to residents of those streets and their guests.

Parking

- As always, there will be little to no parking available close to downtown, and there will be no place for charter buses to drop off or pick up passengers. Charter buses entering the downtown Chapel Hill area will be directed by law enforcement officers to the outskirts of town prior to dropping off any passengers.

- Vehicles parked on streets to be closed will be towed beginning at 6 p.m.

- Vehicles that are illegally parked will be ticketed and towed, with a minimum recovery cost of $103.

- Media vehicles will not be allowed to park inside the closed perimeter.

Prohibited Items

Downtown restaurants and bars will close their doors at 1 a.m. to new patrons. They also will charge a minimum $5 cover charge to patrons not attending a private event. In addition, downtown convenience stores that sell alcohol will either close their doors or stop selling alcohol at 1 a.m. Town ordinances and state statutes prohibit the following items in the closed area:

- Alcoholic beverages, weapons, glass bottles, paint, fireworks and explosives, flammable substances, animals and coolers.

- Items, even as part of a costume, which can be used as weapons or could reasonably be mistaken as weapons will be confiscated. This includes items made of wood, metal, cardboard or hard plastic.

Transit

- No Bus Shuttles: There will be no bus shuttles operating from park and ride lots.

- Safe Ride Buses: Safe Ride buses will operate from 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Safe Ride is a service funded by UNC for the safety of students. Safe Ride buses will attempt to operate the normal published schedules along the detoured routes. Safe Rides will not serve the Downtown/Franklin Street area. Due to road closures and traffic pattern changes, Chapel Hill Transit may be unable to operate its exact published schedules.

- Safe T -- pickup and dropoff from Chapel Hill Town Hall.

- Safe J -- pickup and dropoff from Passport Motors.

- Safe G -- pickup and dropoff from Columbia Street at Sitterson Hall across from Carolina Inn.

- Changes to Bus Routes: Chapel Hill Transit riders should be aware that the NU Route will end at 9:02 p.m. at the PR Lot. Riders who would like to travel on this route from 9-11 p.m. must schedule a Shared Ride trip in advance. All calls must be received by 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in order to use this service. Riders may begin scheduling rides on Friday, Oct. 23. Shared Ride services will be available during normal route hours.

- To schedule a ride, call Chapel Hill Transit Reservations at (919) 969-5544 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Monday-Saturday) and 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Sunday).

Downtown Residents

- The Town of Chapel Hill will make every effort to keep people who are attending the event from parking in neighborhoods. Access to neighborhoods will be limited by barricades and police personnel at the roads leading into your neighborhood. This will begin early in the evening.

- Residents of the neighborhood will be able to drive in and out of the enclosed area. Tell the officer at the barricade where you live.

- Guests will be able to enter and leave. They will need to tell the officer at the barricade exactly where they are going.

- Illegally parked vehicles (even of residents, guests) will be ticketed and towed.

- Traffic will be congested and getting past the barricades may be a slow process.