MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Thousands of bikers were all over the Grand Strand Friday night for the beginning of the annual Atlantic Beach Bikefest, but the controversial 23-mile traffic loop wasn’t used.
The Myrtle Beach Police Department decided at around 9:45 p.m. to not use the larger bike loop because of traffic conditions.
Motorcycles and tricked-out cars might be the most noticeable sign of Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s fun, my first time, enjoying it, having a blast, I’m coming back next year,” said a biker from New Orleans nicknamed “Smiley.”
It’s also the unofficial start to summer for some people.
“The whole vibe from everything that’s going on tonight has been going pretty good,” said Lamar Cooper of Kingstree. “It’s been peaceful. Not too much is going on and everybody’s having a good night.
MBPD started restricting Ocean Boulevard traffic to one southbound lane at 6 a.m. Friday. The northbound lane is only for emergency vehicles. Police decided to not use the controversial traffic loop 15 minutes before it was scheduled to start.
Capt. Crosby says police want to create a safe and friendly environment, not a confrontational one.
“Being a tourist destination, we get folks from across the state of South Carolina, the country and around the world,” Capt. Crosby said. “We do things such as community policing where we engage with the crowds, see how they’re doing, communicate with them and small things like that.”
Capt. Crosby also says MBPD has also reviewed past Memorial Day weekends to see how it can improve.
“There are things this year that we’ve implemented to enhance our operations and it’s things that the public may not see,” he said. “This year, we’ve lengthened the amount of time that the information line is open.”
Some people out Friday night say the traffic pattern and police are keeping everyone safe.
“They’re doing it pretty good,” said Lenisha Mccrea of Kingstree. “Nobody’s getting in trouble, I guess.”
“Yeah, as long as nobody’s in trouble and everybody’s having a good time, it doesn’t matter,” added Cooper.
Others say it’s keeping everyone from showing up.
“It’s definitely keeping the crowd away,” said one man. “The police are keeping people from coming,” his friend added.
Myrtle Beach police also planned to use the larger traffic loop Saturday and Sunday, but there’s no word yet on if they’ll try it again during the weekend.
