Cruising is an activity that the citizens of Portsmouth have been enjoying for decades. With recent events forcing social distancing onto the community, cruising arose as a perfect alternative to traditional group events.
On Saturday, April 18th, citizens took to the roads around Chillicothe Street in a show of public pride. At 11 P.M. that night, it seemed the event had been shut down by the Portsmouth Police Department. It was unclear at that time whether or not the Police would allow the event to take place again the following Saturday.
At 8:20 P.M. the following Tuesday, it was announced that after communication had taken place with both the Portsmouth Mayor and the Portsmouth Police Department, citizens would be allowed to cruise Chillicothe Street on Saturdays between 8 and 11 P.M. with the stipulation that they follow traffic laws and stay mindful of residents in the area.
Mayor Kevin E. Johnson was kind enough time out of a busy day, where he was welcoming a grandchild into the world, and talk to us regarding future cruising events.
“People can cruise but need to comply with traffic laws…People can not be getting out of vehicles and congregating… People just need to use good common sense.”
It has been stated that if citizens do not follow these guidelines the police department will end the event early and not allow it in the future. In order to maintain social distancing guidelines, it is recommended that people should only ride together if they are living in the same household and all cruisers should remain in their vehicles.
Cruising is a family-friendly event that brings the community together in these turbulent times while also maintaining the health standards that have been set. The next cruising session is scheduled for Saturday, April 25th, and will start at 8 P.M.
