City of Orlando planning for gridlock ahead of President Trump announcement

Event scheduled for June 18

ORLANDO, Fla. – With less than two weeks before President Donald Trump's planned reelection announcement at the Amway Center, the City of Orlando is giving an update on its transportation plan for the event.

Trump is expected to officially announce his 2020 presidential campaign on June 18 in Orlando.

On Friday, Transportation Director Billy Hattaway said the city is finalizing details on specific road closures, recommended routes of travel and parking garage information for the event. 

"What we're asking for for all those coming in is to be patient with what's going on," Hattaway said. "To understand that this type of event is very large and can be difficult to predict."

For anyone planning on being downtown the evening of the event, the city recommends using alternative transportation.

"This would be a really good time for people to try SunRail or Lynx or Lymmo," Hattaway said. "Lynx for getting into the city and Lymmo for getting around downtown."

Hours before the president is scheduled to arrive, a team of workers will be in the city's event management center, where they'll monitor traffic cameras and roadway conditions.

"We'll be able to control the traffic signals in real time to try and manage the congestion as best as possible," Hattaway said.

Roads are expected to be blocked off surrounding the Amway Center, but the city said the closures would depend on the Secret Service.

City leaders said they plan on releasing additional transportation plan details as they become available leading up to the event.


About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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