Total solar eclipse: What to expect in Canandaigua, Ontario County
CANANDAIGUA, NY – What should residents and visitors expect April 8 in Canandaigua and other parts of Ontario County?
After well over a year of planning for the total solar eclipse, government and business leaders have a better handle on what might happen the Monday afternoon of the total solar eclipse.
A sense of unknown persists, however. Exactly how many out-of-town guests are coming? Where are they going? Will people heed the advice for driving, parking and safety for the eclipse?
Ontario County Administrator Chris DeBolt said stakeholders from Geneva to the county’s east to West Bloomfield to its west, and all points in between, are expecting and planning for huge amounts of traffic and the visitors who come with it.
But it’s hard to predict, because “it’s not like a Bills game or PGA Championship,” DeBolt said, although he added stakeholders have done their best to plan for all contingencies.
“We’ve heard all sorts of crazy numbers,” DeBolt said. “We could have 10,000 visitors in the county, or the population of the county could more than double. It’s not one big event, with a certain number of attendees in a certain location and you know how to plan for that.”
Because Ontario County lies in the eclipse’s path of totality, this figures to be the largest-scale event the county usually sees, said Jessica VanDeMar, marketing manager with Ontario County’s tourism agency, Finger Lakes Visitors Connection.
Yes, even bigger than the Dave Matthews acoustic concerts at CMAC, and people know it.
“The totality of the eclipse will happen during our lifetime,” VanDeMar said. “For it to happen in our own backyards, that only happens once.”
People need to recognize that 17 million people traveled for the last total eclipse across the country and similar numbers are expected to do it for this one, according to Canandaigua City Manager John Goodwin.
“We don’t know how many people are going to come to Canandaigua specifically, but we know people will be here,” Goodwin said. “We will do the best we can to ease that traffic congestion and have staff positioned to respond to emergencies if, God forbid, they occur. We’ll just have to roll with the punches.” Here’s some last-minute advice for eclipse watchers.
Have an eclipse day plan for the road
According to Ontario County Board of Supervisors Chairman Todd Campbell, the county’s Emergency Operation Center will be fully operational throughout the day on April 8, providing residents with updates on traffic conditions and emergencies via the county website at www.ontariocountyny.gov and social media channels.
Residents are asked to limit unnecessary travel as congestion is anticipated on all major roadways. If you must be on the road, your best bet is to check before you leave the house and arrive at your destination early. Fill up your gas tank ahead of time.
Ontario County Sheriff Michael Rago urged people to “pack their patience.”
Like others, Rago said he’s not sure how many people will be in the area come Monday, but the department is staffed up for the day and he is confident they can handle anything thrown at them, on the roads and waterways.
“We just ask for the public’s cooperation out there on the roadways and we’ll get everybody where they’re going to safely,” Rago said.
Expect significant delays on the roads, especially after the eclipse. If you’ve traveled the Thruway in recent days, you’ll recognize this flash on message boards: “Arrive early, stay late. Expect severe delays.”
Bring food, water and medications. Don’t drink and drive.
For those unfamiliar with the rural areas of Ontario County, be on the alert for slow-moving farm vehicles.
In case cell service is impacted, have a communication plan. Bring a map.
Drivers pulling off to the sides of the road for the eclipse, especially those who may be caught in traffic, is a concern, DeBolt said.
“That’s just unsafe on a whole lot of levels,” DeBolt said.
Canandaigua eclipse traffic notes
Ontario County is not planning road closures, although DeBolt said individual municipalities may decide to do so.
“Really, it’s the traffic leaving after the event that’s our biggest concern,” DeBolt said. “We don’t want to close any roads because we want to maximize the traffic infrastructure’s capacity to handle all these people.”
The city of Canandaigua has announced closures.
Canandaigua’s City Pier and Kershaw Park will be closed all day Monday to vehicle traffic, although pedestrians are still permitted to enjoy the parks.
Lakeshore Drive between Ellen Polimeni Boulevard and Muar Street will closed to all vehicle traffic from noon to 5 p.m. Monday for anticipated pedestrian activity.
“After the eclipse, we will treat it like a CMAC event,” Goodwin said.
The traffic signals on Main Street will be changed to flash yellow for northbound and southbound vehicle traffic from noon to 5 p.m. Monday. The ability for eastbound and westbound traffic to cross Main Street in the downtown area is expected to be limited.
The traffic signals on Main Street at Ontario Street and West Avenue, Buffalo Street and Chapel Street, and North Street and County Road 28 will function as normal. Local motorists traveling eastbound and westbound across Main Street are requested to use these intersections.
Normal traffic patterns will resume as soon as possible after the eclipse.
Check ahead of time for eclipse day events
Hopefully by now, folks have made plans for enjoying the eclipse.
Many businesses in the food and drink industry have special events planned for eclipse day.
For instance, through April 9, downtown Canandaigua restaurants will highlight special eclipse menus, businesses will be doing solar eclipse specials and breweries will offer commemorative beers.
The Downtown Totality Passport Event will be going on during this time and those who participate will be entered to win over $500 in gift certificates.
The Finger Lakes Visitors Connection has listings of events and other eclipse information at https:// www.visitfingerlakes.com/ eclipse-2024/. In Geneva, visit https:// www.eclipsegeneva.com/.
Again, check ahead of time before leaving the house.
The Ontario County Clerk’s Office and Department of Motor Vehicles will be open to the public until noon Monday.
Operations are expected to return to normal Tuesday, April 9.
Ontario County government is open on Monday with limited on-site availability. Call ahead to any county department before traveling. If possible, please communicate via email.
Be safe: Wear eclipse glasses
You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: Avoid looking directly at the sun without adequate eye protection during the eclipse, which in Ontario County will begin at 2:07 p.m. and last until shortly after 4:30 p.m., with the total eclipse happening at 3:22 p.m.
Looking directly at the sun without eye protection can cause permanent eye damage, according to Ontario County Public Health Director Kate Ott.
To view the eclipse safely, wear ISO 12312-2-certified eclipse glasses or use a solar viewer. Certified eclipse glasses are available at almost all local libraries and town halls for free, while supplies last. Hopefully, you already have them.
For details, visit https:// eclipse.aas.org/resources/solar-filters.
Enjoy the eclipse
If you have no plans, stay home and enjoy the spectacle. When the eclipse is occurring Monday afternoon, the sun is “pretty darn high in the sky,” DeBolt said. “Just about everywhere should have a decent view of it,” DeBolt said.
To enjoy this rare eclipse event, residents must prioritize safety, exercise common sense and remain patient, Campbell said in a statement.
“We are grateful to all those in our community who helped prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime event, and for the efforts of many to help keep our residents and visitors safe,” Campbell stated.
DeBolt is among those both excited and a bit nervous about the eclipse.
“I think it’s super cool and wish I could be home with my kids and hunker down and have a barbecue,” DeBolt said. “As it stands, I’m pretty anxious about it. We’ve spent a year planning for it, and a million variables. I just hope we get the vast majority of our decisions right and we’re well-positioned to respond to whatever happens.”