Bay Village prepares for total solar eclipse

The Great American Total Solar Eclipse will pass through Northeast Ohio on April 8, and local residents are fortunate to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event. Bay Village specifically falls within the “Path of Totality” and is very near the exact center line of the eclipse, which runs through Avon Lake. This will allow interested star gazers to be in near complete darkness for almost four minutes.

Understanding that this event may draw large crowds, the city administration has been preparing for well over a year. City leaders looked to best practices and lessons learned from cities that have gone through similar circumstances in the past, most notably the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse that bisected the United States from east to west. 

The largest problems seen in these other cities included traffic congestion, communications issues and lack of foreknowledge from local residents and businesses. The city administration has been working diligently to tackle all of these issues. 

Traffic will undoubtedly be an issue and forecasts have shown that we may get two to three times our normal population in visitors. These numbers may change as we get closer to April 8 and have a better understanding of what the weather is going to be during the eclipse.

We expect residents will have guests arriving over the weekend prior and that we will have individuals pouring into town on April 8, 2024. Like most large scale events, there will be a mass exodus of traffic once the event is over.

The Bay Village Police, Fire and Service Departments have all been working closely to develop traffic plans with the goal of a safe flow of traffic, while also keeping routes open for emergency service vehicles. With that said, there will assuredly be traffic issues and we encourage residents and guests to be patient while the crowd leaves the area. 

Due to extreme demand, we also expect there to be some issues with cell phone coverage and internet. With the potential for a mass influx of guests, there will be a strain on the normal capabilities. We have reached out to national providers who are addressing the issues, but it would be wise for residents to have a backup plan if their cell phone or home internet is slow or not working at all.

More information, prior to the eclipse, can be found on cityofbayvillage.com, by signing up for the Mayor’s Newsletter or by following the City of Bay Village/Bay Village Police Department on Facebook. As always, we encourage residents to sign up for the Ready Notify/Code Red system which can be found online. This system is free and only takes an email address and phone number to sign up. You will receive alerts by phone, text, email or through the app. 

Safety concerns led the city administration to hold informational meetings with local schools, churches and businesses. While recommendations were made, it is ultimately up to the individual organization to decide whether they want to close for the day.

In an abundance of caution, both Bay Village City Schools and St. Raphael’s School decided to close for the day. In addition, municipal buildings and the Bay Village Branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library will also be closed for the day. 

We strongly encourage residents to plan accordingly. Whatever errands you would normally do on a Monday (gas/groceries/prescriptions) consider doing earlier or putting off until later in the week. If you have elective appointments (doctor/dentist/hair) consider rescheduling. Having less traffic on the road will also benefit safety services as police, fire and service vehicles will be able to respond to calls and emergencies in a safer, more timely manner. 

Further, it is recommended that you purchase eclipse viewing glasses in the near future, before they become expensive or they run out. Make sure to buy them from a reputable company that are selling approved glasses. More information can be found online regarding safety glasses.

It is especially important to monitor children as they don’t understand the ramifications of looking at the sun. Additionally, keep a close eye on little ones as it will be easy for them to become distracted or lost if you are in a large crowd when it suddenly grows dark.

As always, please remember if you see something, say something. The Bay Village Police Department encourages everyone to prepare ahead, stay home and enjoy the event.