Lemon Hill braces for 39 days of FIFA Fan Festival disruptions
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Construction for the massive FIFA Fan Festival taking over Fairmount Park is slated to begin next week — and residents are split over whether the spectacle is worth the disruptions headed their way.
Why it matters: The sprawling festival is expected to draw up to 20,000 daily visitors for 39 days, alongside noise, traffic and parking restrictions.
Driving the news: More than 300 people attended a neighborhood public meeting on Monday, with some skeptical and others excited about the free FIFA watch party.
- City officials unveiled a plan to manage logistical headaches, which included adding public transit options and creating "geofenced" rideshare boundaries to ease congestion around Lemon Hill during the tournament.
- Residents and business owners must also prepare for stricter parking enforcement during the festival. They'll have to apply for temporary parking permits or risk fines and towing.
Zoom in: To encourage people to walk, bike or use public transportation to get to the festival, city officials are:
- Closing roads along Sedgley, Poplar and Lemon Hill drives between May 26 and July 19, plus certain lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, starting on Memorial Day and lasting through Sept. 7
- Increasing buses running to the festival, bolstered by a $450,000 subsidy to enhance PHLASH services to Center City and the city's historic districts
- Setting up a temporary Indego bike hub near the festival with 100 docks
- Establishing a "geofenced" area for rideshares with designated pick-up and drop-off spots
- Ramping up police patrols around the festival, deploying officers on bikes and on foot to monitor crowds and enforce parking restrictions
What they're saying: Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement that the measures will ensure the festival runs smoothly while allowing residents and visitors to commingle in a way that "protects quality of life and keeps Philadelphia moving with limited disruption throughout the tournament."