The Orlando Police Department has designated a stretch of Orange Blossom Trail as a “special event zone” in order to crack down on unpermitted activities that the organization says have been creating “extraordinary traffic congestion.”
Law enforcement authorities implemented the special event zone along Orange Blossom Trail, from West Colonial Drive to State Road 408, on Thursday. The designation is in effect until Monday, November 20, according to OPD.
According to police, multiple pop-up events along OBT and the surrounding areas have been observed in recent weeks. The events, which are unsanctioned, have been causing “extraordinary traffic congestion,” according to a statement issued by OPD.
Police say the goal of the special event zone is to help reduce “severe traffic and accompanying complications.”
When a law enforcement agency establishes a special event zone in Florida, all violations within the zone may carry double the fines and vehicles may be subject to impound. Parking lots and other property immediately adjacent to the roadway are also part of the special event zone designation, even if they are on private property, according to OPD.
“The Orlando Police Department wants people to be aware that while they are not prohibited from entering the special event zone, committing traffic infractions in these zones will bring heavier fines, and could lead to having your vehicle impounded, and all the costs associated with that process,” reads the statement.