Bumper-to-bumper traffic followed the total eclipse

Bumper-to-bumper traffic followed the total eclipse in the region on Monday, but the overall public safety assessment on a day thousands of people visited was positive. “With the number of people we’ve seen come through, I think we have been extremely lucky,” said Lyndon Police Chief Jack Harris while witnessing what he called the most traffic ever in town. Despite the jammed traffic, Chief Harris said everyone seemed to be driving patiently. “I kind of equate it to the Phish concert in Coventry 2004,” said the chief. “Everybody is very polite and everybody is taking turns.” People started coming in on the weekend, but a steady stream of vehicles flowed all morning and parking areas filled up fast. Every spot in several village parking areas was taken by 1:30 p.m. “We had that initial rush of everybody trying to escape at the same time,” said Chief Pierce. Police officers and firefighters in the minutes following the eclipse totality reported being bogged down in traffic, but the emergency calls were minor and few, according to officials. “We were expecting more emergency calls,” said Chief Reed, “but that just didn’t materialize.” He said it was good fortune but also good planning that made a difference. The fire department had trucks in multiple locations for quick deployment throughout the town. “It was a great day. The reaction was 100 percent positive from people; they felt that it was well-organized. I heard a lot of people say they’re coming back.”