TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)-- Some roads will close Friday night in the Southwood community as thousands of trick or treaters fill the area.
Capital Region Community Development District Operations Manager Robert Berlin says for years the area has been overwhelmed with the amount of traffic on Halloween. This year, they decided to close some roads in an effort to help keep trick or treaters safe.
Southwood Resident Catherine Taylor says she has lived on Mist Flower Road for eight years, and every year she sees chaos. This year, she's going to a family member's neighborhood to take her two-year-old trick or treating instead.
The CDD decided to work with traffic engineers at the City of Tallahassee to find roads in Southwood that could be shut down. Those roads will be closed from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Berlin says unarmed security guards will be at the barricades requiring identification from residents who live on those streets. He says the goal is for adults to park their cars and walk down those streets with their trick or treaters rather than drive.
But Taylor is worried that only closing a few roads may not be enough.
"I've seen near accidents of children almost being hit by cars," said Taylor, who was hoping the entire area would be closed down. "The parts of the neighborhood that aren't closed are going to end up being very packed with vehicle traffic."
Taylor says it's not a matter of keeping outsiders out, but keeping everyone safe.
"Road closures are not meant to keep anybody out of Southwood," said Taylor. "We definitely want everybody to be able to come and enjoy their time in Southwood and trick or treat safely."
Click the link below to view a map of the road closures.
