After months of planning, Erie's moment in the moon-obscured sun is almost here

Eclipse day is almost here, and there's still no way of knowing for sure how it's going to turn out.

Will the sun shine?

Will the crowds show up?

And will Erie's network of roads, hotels, restaurants and public places be up for the challenge?

We will find out soon.

But one thing seems clear.

No one can accuse the community of failing to plan.

For more than a year, leaders from tourism, law enforcement, the business community, education and local government have been working to ensure that Erie seizes this cosmic moment.

John Oliver, CEO of VisitErie, Erie County's tourism promotion agency, credits Emily Biddle, director of marketing and research for VisitErie, for launching a community planning process more than a year ago.

Biddle had been following the early days of an eclipse-planning process in Rochester and suggested that Erie do something similar.

That idea led to a series of planning meetings with an ever-growing cast of participants, some attended by more than 100 people, Oliver said.

"I think we are planning for every potential hiccup," Oliver said. "We would like to feel like we minimized any problem and maximized the experience for visitors."

Everyone has a plan

The eclipse planning group isn't the only organization that's been preparing for contingencies. Everyone, it seems, has been thinking ahead to what to expect from the eclipse and the crowds it attracts.

Restaurant owner John Melody made plans to shuttle employees to work.

Anticipating a Presque Isle State Park crowd that could top 30,000, Matt Greene, the park's operations manager, has shifted virtually his entire staff to crowd control for the day and has enlisted the help of park employees from across the state.

Chris Sirianni, owner of The Brewerie at Union Station, plans to hit pause for 30 minutes Monday afternoon so that employees and patrons alike can step outside and look in the southwestern sky.

Ippa PIzza Napoletana plans to serve up Total Eclipse specialty pizza inside the Flagship City Food Hall. The pizza is topped with a large meatball representing Earth, a smaller moon meatball and a burrata cheese bomb that represents the sun.

Looking to slake your thirst? Lavery Brewing Company created a new dark lager called In the Path of Totality.

No one, it seems, has missed an opportunity to offer eclipse-themed food, drinks and experiences.

Special events have been planned at all Erie-area universities, the Erie Zoo, Port Farms, golf courses, parks and at 20 participating wineries in the region.

What all the fuss is about

In 2017, Jim Gavio traveled nearly 600 miles to view a solar eclipse for the first time.

Seven years later, Gavio gets to experience another one without hitting the highway — and he’s hoping for clear skies and a pristine view.

“Lately, a lot of the talk is not about the eclipse itself, it’s about the weather,” said Gavio, director of the Yahn Planetarium at Penn State Behrend, “Everybody’s a little concerned about that all of a sudden.

“If we get a day where the clouds are just broken up and we can see the sun as clouds are passing by, I’ll be happy with that,” Gavio said.

If skies are clear, Gavio said, people might also be able to see “Venus and Jupiter, almost all the planets will be visible up in the sky. Jupiter and Venus should be two of the brightest you can see.”

Gavio traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in August 2017 to view a total solar eclipse. It was the first total solar eclipse visible from the contiguous United States since 1979.

Gavio has described it as “a unique event” where the skies went dark and the temperature quickly dropped 20 degrees.

On Monday, Gavio will be outdoors on Penn State Behrend campus, near the school’s soccer fields, watching the skies via telescope with other students, faculty and visitors.

“Again I’m just hoping for a nice clear day,” Gavio said. “Being in this field, being interested in astronomy, the more I think about it I can’t believe it’s coming here, right to us. It’s very exciting that way.”

Safety protocols

Erie police Deputy Chief William Marucci said the city will have roughly 100 officers working on Monday, most of them focused on traffic control and “monitoring areas where crowds gather.”

“We’re not going to know what we’re getting until probably the day before the event or right before (the eclipse),” Marucci said. “We just know we’re going to see very large crowds.

“Based on what we know from other cities, we don’t expect crime or a lot of other issues,” Marucci said. “But we’re going to get a lot of people coming here from out of town because they want to see the event.”

Marucci said police are advising people to stay home to view the eclipse if they can, to help alleviate traffic.

“After the eclipse, after about 3 p.m., everyone will be trying to evacuate the area. They’re getting into their cars and getting out,” Marucci said. “That’s when things shut down in terms of the traffic.”

Glasses at the ready

Some are suggesting that visitors pack food and water and come prepared with a full tank of gas.

At the very least, though, anyone who plans to watch the eclipse is going to need special eclipse glasses in the moments before and after the period of eclipse totality that begins at about 3:16 p.m.

Glasses are available at Walmart, Wegmans and other retailers and are free with a purchase at Country Fair. VisitErie is also distributing free glasses at local rest stops.

Is there reason to worry?

Chris Temple, director of communications for VisitErie, acknowledges that they are worried about the eclipse-day crowds and the potential for traffic jams and chaos.

"I think because Erie has never experienced an event like this and the fact that crowd estimates are like nothing we’ve ever seen, there’s going to be some nervousness and anxiety," Temple said. "I would say rather than be worried or nervous all the time, try to focus on the natural cosmic beauty of this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon and relish in that moment."

Prepare for gridlock

City of Erie officials are preparing for an unprecedented day, advising citizens to prepare for traffic gridlock and eclipse-related delays.

The city has added an eclipse page to its website, https://cityof.erie.pa.us/eclipse, with information aimed at helping residents and visitors alike “be aware of what to do to make the day as enjoyable and safe as possible.”

Renee Lamis, Mayor Joe Schember’s chief of staff, said that if Erie sees a massive influx of visitors for the eclipse as expected, “lines at gas stations could be long, restaurants could have waiting lists, and there could be traffic delays like we’ve never seen in Erie.

“We have been encouraging residents to be prepared for potential traffic delays of 12 hours,” Lamis said.

The city is urging people to watch the eclipse from their homes or one of the city’s many neighborhood parks, to alleviate traffic downtown and along the bayfront.

Schember’s administration has already announced that Erie City Hall, 626 State St., will be closed to the public on Monday and that many city employees will work remotely that day.

Further, State Street will be closed to vehicle traffic north of the Bayfront Parkway to accommodate pedestrians who want to watch the eclipse at Dobbins Landing and adjacent areas.

The city also plans to prohibit on-street parking in several areas on Monday to ensure clear paths for emergency vehicles.

Last-minute plans

Visitors making last-minute plans to visit Erie aren't likely to find many lodging options.

Only a handful of rooms remained available on March 29. And most of those were renting for far-higher than normal prices.

The website Booking.com offered rooms at TownePlace Suites by Marriott Erie for $1,798 a night. Days Inn by Wyndham Erie had rooms for $959.

At that point, a few spaces remained at Erie KOA Holiday camp site in McKean Township.

Who's coming to the party

Gov. Josh Shapiro said months ago that he planned to be in Erie for the eclipse. Oliver said he believes that's still the plan.

But it's anybody's guess who else might find their way to Erie for the eclipse.

In addition to thousands of extra cars expected to be in Erie County, Derek Martin, executive director of Erie International Airport, said pilots of more than 50 private planes, including a Boeing business jet, have signaled plans to be in Erie.

He wasn't sure who is traveling in he business jet, the equivalent of a Boeing 737 that costs about $14,000 an hour to operate.

"Somebody with money is coming," Martin said.

Contact Jim Martin at [email protected]. Contact Kevin Flowers at [email protected]. Follow him on X at @ETNflowers.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Thousands expected in Erie Monday to view total eclipse of the sun