What was your favorite part of 14fest? Fetty Wap? Niykee Heaton? Friends? Beer? The zebra? — Or was it the long march home?
Transportation is a long-standing problem at Number Fest. How to safely transport 15,000-20,000 people (many of them intoxicated) to and from a spot 2.6 miles from Court Street is a quandary that fest director Dominic Petrozzi has been struggling with for years, and has yet to solve.
For many attendees, the best way to get to Number Fest is to hitch a ride in an overloaded illegal taxi. For thousands of Number Fest's paying customers, the only way home is a very long walk.
At a city council meeting after 13Fest, when some residents complained about pedestrians blocking the road, an OU student pointed out something suspect to be true for most fest-goers — that, after a tiring day at the fest, she and her friends had no desire to walk home. It was just the only viable option.
The discomfort of blistered feet and the danger of piling into the back of a stranger's pickup truck aren't the only hazards of Number Fest's inadequate transportation. When W. Union St. fills with pedestrians, it is hard to get to the only emergency room in Athens, which is at O'Bleness Hospital.
Just being in a crowd of people desperate to get home has its risks. Last year, there was a scary situation when a crowd rushed the buses. In 2013, a woman fell off a crowded bridge on W. Union and had to be life-flighted.
I've been following the news about Number Fest ever since I moved to a side road off of W. Union. I've heard ideas from local officials, residents, and Petrozzi about how to fix the transportation problem. What I haven't heard much, and hope to hear more, is ideas from people who've gone to Number Fest and dealt with transportation firsthand.
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What do you think would be the best way for Number Fest to handle transportation next year? Should there be more parking? Should they give buses another try? Should the number of tickets be limited? Should the fest be moved somewhere easier to get to?
I urge you contact Petrozzi on Twitter (@thenumberfest) or via the links on “thenumberfest.com”, and let him know what changes you want to see next year. I also encourage you to share your ideas with news outlets like The Post and with your elected representatives. Folks should be able to enjoy great music without having to walk three miles home.
Jaymie Strecker is an Athens native
