Taylor Swift concerts in Toronto | Extra safety precautions will need to be taken, experts say

(Toronto) As Toronto prepares for Taylor Swift’s arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say extra safety precautions will need to be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill downtown on show evenings.

This means preparing for a sudden change in crowd dynamics and significant traffic congestion, despite planned road closures, experts say.

The City recently announced various traffic and safety measures in anticipation of welcoming an estimated 500,000 visitors during the megastar’s six sold-out stops at the Rogers Center, from November 14 to 16 and the following week, from November 21 to November 23.

Tens of thousands of “Swifties” are expected to use public transportation to get to the site and to the Metro Toronto Convention Center, where a fan event, “Taylgate’24,” is taking place. The overlapping events at the Scotiabank Arena are expected to attract even more people.

Before residents and visitors headed downtown, crowd safety specialist Kevin Kennedy warned them that they should prepare for possible changes in crowd dynamics.

The former provincial and Ottawa police officer, who now owns the company Kennedy Crowd Safety Solutions, points out that crowd density and movement can change quickly.

“Taylor Swift fans tend to be very accommodating and supportive of each other, but a situation can arise that immediately changes the dynamic because it puts people in a panic situation,” he said. explain.

“If something happens and there is an emergency, follow the directions of those responsible. »

Mr. Kennedy added that it is especially important for parents with children going to concerts to communicate their safety plans.

“Parents can tell their children to move away, to get out of there, to move to a less crowded area,” he said. People want to get as close as possible, but there comes a point where you can start to feel unsafe. So stay away from there, it’s not worth getting hurt. »

Measures put in place

In anticipation of the crowds, the city has taken several security measures, such as an emergency operations center that will be activated during the Eras tour.

Toronto Deputy Police Chief Lauren Pogue said that while the force cannot provide details on its operational plans for concert dates, people can expect “a significant and visible police presence » inside and outside the room.

The City also announced several traffic measures near the Rogers Center. At 2 p.m. on show days, several areas around the venue will be restricted to local traffic only. This includes Bremner Boulevard, between Spadina Avenue and Simcoe Street, and Blue Jays Way, between Spadina Avenue and south of Front Street.

There will be designated drop-off and pick-up areas near the Rogers Centre, as well as traffic enforcement in the area.

Additional road closures will go into effect after the show begins and additional one-off road closures may be necessary for crowd management. Everything should be reopened by 1 a.m., the city said, adding that those plans will be adjusted as needed.

But Amer Shalaby, a professor at the University of Toronto, believes the city should consider traffic restrictions for the entire duration of Swift’s tour, not just on show nights.

“If the roads are only closed on concert nights, guess what: on other days there will still be people,” said Mr. Shalaby, who specializes in crowd congestion and transportation planning.

“As it stands, we all know that anyone who wants to go to downtown Toronto on the weekend, even in the evening, it’s chaos. Imagine adding tens of thousands of people. We don’t really have the capacity to accommodate all of this. »

Avoid the city center

The city needs to be “very upfront and transparent” with motorists about the traffic situation, Mr. Shalaby said.

“Ultimately, it is motorists who make choices. We really need to inform them that it will be quite difficult if the City does not close the roads on the other days,” he added.

He recommends people use public transportation and work from home if possible, or postpone going downtown until Taylor Swift leaves town.

Mr. Kennedy believes the key to a smooth event in Toronto is clear communication and coordination between city departments and organizers. The city is no stranger to massive crowds, he noted, and managing the increased demand for public transportation and roads during Taylor Swift concerts will come down to good planning.

“The police, the City, the authorities responsible for traffic management know very well how to manage approaching crowds,” he assured.

“Everyone on the ground needs to know what their roles and responsibilities are. »