CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Charlotte City Manager's Office said Tuesday that Charlotte's New Year's Eve has been officially declared an extraordinary event, which means people will see an increase in police presence.
Charlotte's New Year's Eve Festival will be held at Romare Bearden Park, with activities beginning at 6 p.m. The event holder expects about 5,000 people to attend.
An extraordinary event is defined as a large-scale event of national or international significance, and/or an event expected to attract a significant number of people to certain area of the city.
Extraordinary events allow for more officers on the ground, and will allow police more freedom to search attendees. CMPD does not comment on the specifics of their plans for general safety reasons.
Other notes from CharMeck:
Charlotte Department of Transportation
The CLT New Year's Eve event will be held at Romare Bearden Park starting at 6 p.m. Mint Street, between Third Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 30 at 6 p.m. until Friday, Jan. 1 at 2 a.m.
Heavy Uptown traffic is expected with many pedestrians crossing the streets. Motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists are cautioned to be alert at all times. Riding CATS transit is encouraged.
Charlotte Area Transit System
Thursday, Dec. 29 to Monday, Jan. 4: There will be no Gold Rush service.
Thursday, Dec. 31: Buses and trains will operate according to their weekday service. LYNX Blue Line will operate additional service in support of First Night activities with the last departures from the Charlotte Transportation Center at 1:30 a.m. for select bus routes only, and for the LYNX Blue Line.
Friday, Jan. 1: CATS will operate buses and trains according to its Sunday schedule.
Saturday, Jan. 2: CATS will resume normal operating schedule.
The CATS Call Center, as well as the Pass Sales and Information Office at the CTC, will be closed on New Year's Day.
CharMeck 311
CharMeck 311 will be closed Jan. 1, 2016.
CharMeck 311's normal hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Outside of regular business hours, callers can report water, sewer, storm water and animal emergencies via an automated service that dispatches assistances. You can also make many service requests online 24/7 at http://charmeck.org/services/Pages/default.aspx.
Please call 911 for any emergencies.
Solid Waste Services
Trash and recycling will be picked according to the regular schedule.
On Jan. 1, Corporate Communications and Marketing (CC&M) will issue a report with highlights from New Year's Eve on public safety, CATS ridership and more.
