$10 per car to get on Belle Isle for the Fireworks

**Lowell** · June-13-13, 11:37 AM

I caught that on WDET this AM. Additionally cars will not be allowed on the island until 2PM. The assertion by Mayor Bing is that the police are needed elsewhere until then.

So no more day before camp outs and turf-claiming with tents until then. I am beginning to envision the traffic pile up as fire works viewers line up to get in starting at 2.

Additionally Hart Plaza is to be cordoned and all entrants will be patted down. No fee will be charged that I heard of.

Why not? If the monetization of Belle Isle that now seems to be at full steam can Hart Plaza be far behind? After all, it is for other events.

Welcome to Brave New City!

**daddeeo** · June-13-13, 11:49 AM

This will be a new pay-as-you-go use for services [[especially for outsiders) that you can expect. How else can you expect the city to survive? Public safety and trash pick up overtime will have to be paid. Detroit is broke. Get used to it.

**Johnnny5** · June-13-13, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

I caught that on WDET this AM. Additionally cars will not be allowed on the island until 2PM. The assertion by Mayor Bing is that the police are needed elsewhere until then.

So no more day before camp outs and turf-claiming with tents until then. I am beginning to envision the traffic pile up as fire works viewer line up to get in starting at 2.

Additionally Hart Plaza is to be cordoned and all entrants will be patted down. No fee will be charged that I heard of.

Why not? If the monetization of Belle Isle that now seems to be at full steam can Hart Plaza be far behind? After all, it is for other events.

Welcome to Brave New City!

I bet that $10 annual State Park pass is sounding like a bargain to all those that opposed it.

**Honky Tonk** · June-13-13, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

I caught that on WDET this AM. Additionally cars will not be allowed on the island until 2PM. The assertion by Mayor Bing is that the police are needed elsewhere until then.

So no more day before camp outs and turf-claiming with tents until then. I am beginning to envision the traffic pile up as fire works viewers line up to get in starting at 2.

Additionally Hart Plaza is to be cordoned and all entrants will be patted down. No fee will be charged that I heard of.

Why not? If the monetization of Belle Isle that now seems to be at full steam can Hart Plaza be far behind? After all, it is for other events.

Welcome to BROKE New City!

Just trying to help........

**MidTownMs** · June-13-13, 01:34 PM

Ok so they want $10.00 per car...what about persons on foot, bike, wheelchairs, motorcycles, etc. etc.

**iheartthed** · June-13-13, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Why not? If the monetization of Belle Isle that now seems to be at full steam can Hart Plaza be far behind? After all, it is for other events.

Welcome to Brave New City!

Have you forgotten that Hart Plaza is where this all started? It was unheard of to pay to enter Hart Plaza for any event 10 years ago. Do they even have free events in Hart Plaza anymore?

**EastsideAl** · June-13-13, 02:03 PM

Absolutely outrageous, and yet more spitting in the face of all of us who pay city taxes, and especially to eastsiders. Is the money collected going to at least be earmarked for Belle Isle itself? Or will it just disappear into the general fund, as usual.

If they are only now getting around to making this news public, they are going to have an enormous and angry traffic mess on their hands. And, unless they charge pedestrians too, they are going to be putting yet more money in the pockets of those dubious vacant lot parking guys. I live close enough to walk over, and that's just what I intend to do.

**EastsideAl** · June-13-13, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Do they even have free events in Hart Plaza anymore?

The jazz festival is still free!

But that's thanks to Gretchen Valade and other donors. Not to the city, who wanted to charge admission.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · June-13-13, 02:39 PM

Good. Discourage the riff raff

**Django** · June-13-13, 03:29 PM

So I can bring my gun to Belle Isle but not Hart Plaza for the fireworks?

**MidTownMs** · June-13-13, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Absolutely outrageous, and yet more spitting in the face of all of us who pay city taxes, and especially to eastsiders. Is the money collected going to at least be earmarked for Belle Isle itself? Or will it just disappear into the general fund, as usual.

If they are only now getting around to making this news public, they are going to have an enormous and angry traffic mess on their hands. And, unless they charge pedestrians too, they are going to be putting yet more money in the pockets of those dubious vacant lot parking guys. I live close enough to walk over, and that's just what I intend to do.

You should probably find out if you can walk in for free.

**belleislerunner** · June-13-13, 03:49 PM

If one can't afford $10 to enter Belle Isle, they shouldn't be driving in the first place. Funds to protect citizens, maintain and enhance Belle Isle have to come from some where. I have no qualms ponying up the dinero - in fact, it will likely encourage more visitors because the trobule makers will be too cheap to cause trouble. That's the entire concept of a cover charge at a given bar - it weeds out the people you don't want inside anyway.

**Wheels** · June-13-13, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Absolutely outrageous, and yet more spitting in the face of all of us who pay city taxes, and especially to eastsiders. .

When did eastsiders become special?

**EastsideAl** · June-13-13, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by Wheels

When did eastsiders become special?

We're not special, which is precisely the point. We are consistently given the short greasy end of the stick by our city's government.

**EastsideAl** · June-13-13, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by belleislerunner

If one can't afford $10 to enter Belle Isle, they shouldn't be driving in the first place. Funds to protect citizens, maintain and enhance Belle Isle have to come from some where. I have no qualms ponying up the dinero - in fact, it will likely encourage more visitors because the trobule makers will be too cheap to cause trouble. That's the entire concept of a cover charge at a given bar - it weeds out the people you don't want inside anyway.

A bar and a public park are very different things. Oh, and a cover charge also goes to pay the band... will we get a band for our dough?

**Chinman** · June-13-13, 04:09 PM

Here’s the plan:

All coolers & back packs will be checked
Anyone under the age of 17 has to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
Curfew for minors start at 6pm day of the fireworks until 6 a.m. on June 25
Oakland, Wayne, Macomb sheriffs, FBI, Border Patrol will assist

But for those families who've mastered the art of picking out the perfect spot, get ready for a wrench to be thrown in your Belle Isle and Hart Plaza plans.
According to the city, this year you won’t be allowed to enter Belle Isle until 2 p.m. the day of the fireworks, same goes for Hart Plaza.
Once you’re on Hart Plaza, you will not be allowed to leave. In fact, the plaza will close when a safe capacity is reached.
“We’re having this briefing [today] so people can make the necessary adjustments to the changes,” said Bing.
Adjustment’s not all Detroiter’s will be willing to make.
“It’s an outing, it’s a day, people make it a day in Detroit," said Detroit resident Denise Hudson. “We see all the fun things people do to pass the time and that makes it an experience.”
RESTRICTIONS AND POLICIES:
Belle Isle:
Admittance onto the island will not be permitted until 2pm on June 24^th
$10 parking passes will be issued by Parks and Recreation for the Paddock Area
Only see-through tents and/or canopies will be allowed in island.
Atwater Flats:
Atwater between Rivard and Joseph Campau will be closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic

Jefferson Avenue:
Barricaded pedestrian “walkways” will be erected at Griswold, Woodward and Randolph to control the entrances and exits to the south side of Jefferson

Riverwalk:
The Riverwalk will be closed to all spectators between Third and Joseph Campau at 2 p.m.

**Chinman** · June-13-13, 04:12 PM

so $10 fee is only for paddock area. it is not an entrance fee to the Island.

**EastsideAl** · June-13-13, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by Chinman

so $10 fee is only for paddock area. it is not an entrance fee to the Island.

That makes a lot more sense.

**Johnnny5** · June-13-13, 05:35 PM

Lowell's right the 2pm thing is going to be a train wreck! They would be far better off letting people filter in throughout the day. Now it's going to be a huge rush of early birds and then another huge rush before the actual fireworks with people finding out at the last minute that Hart Plaza is filled and Belle Isle is charging.

**SWMAP** · June-13-13, 06:32 PM

As I hear it downtown, there will not be fireworks at all next year, unless big private dollars are raised for police, park& rec and all the city entities that have to pay employees to make it happen, sometimes at time- and- a -half.
Ditto for St.Patrick's Day Parade and for even the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Isn't the fireworks Display wortj a few bucks to Detroiters?
The days of free are over. They said it would be hard...

**Ltdave** · June-13-13, 06:34 PM

Additionally Hart Plaza is to be cordoned and all entrants will be patted down.

patting someone down without Reasonable Arguable Suspicion that a crime HAS BEEN, WILL BE, or IN PROGRESS is illegal...

the fact that Hart Plaza is public property [[city owned) makes it fully legal to carry concealed or openly on said property...

**313WX** · June-13-13, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Ltdave

patting someone down without Reasonable Arguable Suspicion that a crime HAS BEEN, WILL BE, or IN PROGRESS is illegal...

the fact that Hart Plaza is public property [[city owned) makes it fully legal to carry concealed or openly on said property...

Since when has the law mattered lately?

**Chinman** · June-14-13, 12:50 AM

if you watched the press release on the news you would hear bing, border patrol and all the police want to avoid a repeat of boston marathon issue. that is why all will be searched along with coolers and back packs.
there are going to be looong lines waiting until 2pm.
they said that they will stop letting in when they thing enough peeps are in.