The LaPorte Police Department offers this information on traffic and parking restrictions surrounding the LaPorte Jaycees Fourth of July Parade:
“The parade will start at 10 a.m. at Tipton Street and Ind. 2 (Lincolnway) and proceed west along Lincolnway/J Street, ending at Andrew Avenue.
“On July 4 beginning at 8:30 a.m., traffic will be diverted off Ind. 2 (Lincolnway). No traffic other than the parade units will be allowed on Lincolnway between Philadelphia Street and Andrew Avenue between 8:30 a.m. and the end of the parade.
“On the parade route, there will be no parking allowed on the street or in the tree lawns along Lincolnway. Citizens will not be allowed to sit in the street along the parade route and no pedestrians, bicyclists or skaters will be allowed in the street along the parade route while the parade is in progress. No vehicles will be allowed to be illegally parked in the middle of the cross streets along the parade route during the parade.
“Emergency routes for LaPorte County Emergency Medical Services and the LaPorte Fire Department will be Michigan Avenue and U.S. 35. Any spectators wishing to stand in those streets must be prepared to move quickly. People who illegally park along the parade route will receive citations and have their vehicles impounded.
“Access to the staging area for the parade will be restricted well in advance of the parade by barricades, as will access to the parade route when it is closed. All motorists should remember that driving around barricades is against the law and they will be cited if they do so. For events like the Fourth of July Parade, pedestrian safety is the number-one priority of the LaPorte Police Department and we will not tolerate any unsafe driving behavior.
“Those folks attending the parade are asked to be considerate of everyone around them during the parade. Since the parade is first and foremost a family event; officers have been given orders to arrest any intoxicated, unruly or belligerent spectators immediately. Fireworks violations that occur along the parade route are also going to be addressed aggressively due to the public safety issues involved. Citizens are reminded that due to the crowds, noise and confusion, the parade is definitely not a good place to bring pets. Parents are also strongly encouraged to closely supervise their children and perhaps even attach a note to the clothing of younger children indicating where the parents are along the parade route, just in case a child wanders off.
“The detour route around the city for Ind. 2 will be Boyd Boulevard to U.S. 35 to Crescent Drive to 18th Street. All east-west streets north and south of the parade route will be open.
“The main detour route for east-west traffic through the downtown area will be along Factory Street, Brighton Street, Washington Street, State Street, L Street, Second Street, and Colfax Avenue to and from Ind. 2.
“The detour for U.S. 35 from the north will be to exit the overpass and then travel either east or west from there. The detour for U.S 35 from the south will be either Boyd Boulevard or Crescent Drive as previously mentioned.
“The men and women of the LaPorte Police Department wish everyone a very happy and safe Independence Day!”