By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — Planning for the 19th Fat & Skinny Tire Festival, members of Kosciusko County Velo Cycling requested approval for downtown Warsaw road closures from the Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety on Friday, Jan. 5.

The event is May 17, with road closures starting at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and roads reopening at midnight. The event itself will be 7-10:30 p.m., according to paperwork filed with the city.

Roads to be closed include Buffalo Street between Market and Main streets, Main Street from Lake to High streets, Center Street from Lake to High streets, Market Street from Buffalo to Indiana streets, Lake Street from Main to Center streets, Buffalo Street from Fort Wayne to Market streets and Indiana Street from Fort Wayne to Market streets.

Andy Cochran, logistics coordinator for the event, said, “We would like to bring the criterium race downtown again, and to do that we need to close some of the downtown area, along with the normal Third Fridays footprint.”

He said it would be the exact same footprint as 2023, with a little difference.

“The difference is that we’re trying to get is, we were really close last year on not getting the course set up in time, so we’re requesting to close some parking spaces a lot sooner because our issue was moving parking and we would move a car and they would just move another block out, and then an hour later we would have to find them again and move their car again,”

Cochran explained. “So, the main difference is, essentially, with what we did last year as to what we’re asking to do this year, is to close basically all the parking on the course at 2 o’clock, and we won’t necessarily take all those spaces right at 2, but we want to have the ability if we can to hold the parking spaces. All the driving will essentially remain open, except for right on the normal footprint for the Third Friday footprint.”

The footprint of the closure will slowly and safely be spread out, he said. Center and Market streets will be held open until the very last moment, sometime between 5-6 p.m.

Cochran said he already spoke with Warsaw Police Department Capt. Joel Beam, who seemed OK with the plans. Cochran also requested troopers from the Indiana State Police to help with traffic control so traffic can be maintained through the Center and Market street intersections even during the event.

Parts of the intersections of Main and Lake, Center and Lake, Market and Indiana and Market and Buffalo streets will have law enforcement during the entire event to allow traffic to flow.

“Last year was the first time we did that and it seemed to work really well, and it seemed to alleviate a lot of the complaints from people that are obviously put out a little bit by having those roads closed,” Cochran stated.

Board member and Councilwoman Diane Quance thanked them for being so thorough “and really thinking it through.”
Cochran said they tried to make it as little of a burden as they could.

“Thankfully, with Warsaw and Warsaw P.D. and with the state police, it makes it a lot easier having the support from them,” he said.

Quance made the motion to approve the road closures, George Clemens seconded it and the motion passed 3-0.

The Fat & Skinny Tire Festival is a three-day event of all things bicycling. This year, it’s scheduled for May 17-19. For more information, visit the KCV Cycling website.