LA QUINTA, Calif. (KESQ) — A Goldenvoice representative apologized Tuesday for a chaotic start to Coachella Weekend One, where traffic delays left thousands of festivalgoers stranded for hours during a desert heatwave.
The trouble started on Thursday, when long lines of festival campers tried to stream into the festival’s onsite campgrounds. Many ran out of gas while waiting in their cars, and without access to water or restrooms. Some said they were forced to endure extreme conditions in their vehicles.
A Goldenvoice representative addressed the debacle at the La Quinta City Council meeting on Tuesday. George Cunningham said the traffic jam was caused by an unexpected surge in early arrivals.
City Councilmember Kathleen Fitzpatrick called Thursday’s traffic jam “unacceptable” and “a total embarrassment” as she shared resident complaints of traffic jams and concertgoers forced to use the roadside due to no restrooms being offered to these invited guests from all over the world.
“Every year, we typically have a lull between one o’clock and six o’clock in the evening where it just dies down,” Cunningham said. “We didn’t have that. Everybody wanted to come early… the campers were in and they wanted to be here,” Cunningham added.
Cunningham said a first-ever Thursday night concert in the campgrounds provided a draw for people to arrive earlier, which had not been experienced in past years of the festival.
Adding to the problem, not all checkpoints were fully staffed the representative said, creating even more congestion. In past years, campers were sometimes allowed in before the official 9 a.m. opening. That policy didn’t apply this year, leading to massive backups on surrounding roads.
To help prevent a repeat of last weekend, Goldenvoice says it’s adding more entry points for vehicles. George Cunningham, a company official, told council members that 12 new toll plazas are being added near Madison Street and 50th Avenue, bringing the total to 44.
“We are enacting another toll plaza… so in the past we’ve had 32 toll plazas, we’re adding an additional 12,” Cunningham said.
Goldenvoice says it will continue monitoring traffic this weekend and will make more changes if necessary, especially with Stagecoach just around the corner.
Campground gates for Coachella Weekend Two open Thursday at 9:00 a.m.
Festival attendees and residents are encouraged to plan ahead.
Stay with News Channel 3 for the latest Coachella traffic updates.
