Dayton prepares for April 8 solar eclipse

The City of Dayton continues to prepare for a significant increase in visitors to the area for the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Senior City leadership and City Commissioners have been briefed about the potential impacts on the area, including traffic volume, infrastructure challenges, and preparedness efforts across all City departments.

The Dayton Fire Department will place additional emergency response resources in service on the days leading up to the eclipse to accommodate the anticipated increase in visitors at hotels, attractions, parks, etc. On the day of the eclipse, the DFD is staffing a robust amount of additional resources to ensure adequate response throughout the city in potentially high traffic congestion, as well as providing several staff members in the City's operations center and department command center.

The Dayton Police Department is increasing staffing on April 8 and will also limit patrol activities to respond only to high-priority calls for service. Calls that are determined to be a lower priority will be handled remotely through the telephone reporting unit. Dayton Police Department leadership and staff members will closely monitor traffic conditions throughout the area from the City's operations center and will coordinate with Dayton Fire, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol to ensure adequate responses to incidents and efficient passage of area roadways.

To help alleviate potential traffic congestion, the Department of Public Works is suspending several operations on April 8, including waste collection, lot mowing, and road construction projects.

In Dayton, waste collection will be delayed by one day during the week April 8, similar to typical holidays. Public Works will also work with Dayton Police and Dayton Fire in the City's operations center on the day of the eclipse to mitigate any issues with traffic signals and roadways.

The Department of Recreation is hosting viewing parties at each of the City's three recreation centers to provide safe viewing locations away from roadways and ensure appropriate glasses are being worn by eclipse viewers.

Several other City departments are adopting modified work schedules for April 8 to decrease potential congestion in the downtown area while also ensuring adequate City services.

The City of Dayton is committed to embracing the opportunities of this once-in-a-lifetime event while also ensuring citizen safety, adequate emergency response resources, and uninterrupted core City functions.

View or download special eclipse information from Dayton & Montgomery County Public Health.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.