TULSA, Okla. — As the Tulsa State Fair rolled into town, so did more than a fair share of traffic.
Living just a few blocks away from Expo Square, Matt Noonan and his family chose to walk over.
They dealt with streets more crowded than normal for the first days of the 11-day stretch. They said it can get a bit hectic.
"It’s just part of living in this area," said Noonan. "It does bring a lot of traffic, it brings a lot of trash too in the neighborhood.... It's not a terribly big deal, but it can be a nuisance at times."
His otherwise quiet neighborhood got overrun, not just with driving traffic but people parking on the side of the street and walking to the fairgrounds.
Noonan said he understands it comes with the territory of living so close to the fairgrounds.
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For those that live a bit further out, the shuttle service out of the Tulsa Public Schools Education Service Center is the next best option.
That's how Michelle McCarty and her grandchildren went about getting to the fair this year.
"This is about as easy as it gets," said McCarty. "We're on our way to Disney On Ice right now and we have to get there by 11 o'clock, so this is going to help out tremendously."
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Last year, she paid to park at the fairground lots.
McCarty and her family spent two hours waiting for a spot, before even getting in to the fair. That's why they wanted to try something different and get on the shuttle.
“There’s no congestion, as you can see it’s kind of pretty empty, the bus is already here and were ready to get on there.”
Money was also a factor.
With how frequently they go to the fair during the season, McCarty said they take advantage of not having to pay for parking on top of everything else they're paying for once they get inside.
Here are the transportation options you can choose from for the rest of fair season.
- Shuttles are running through the weekends at the TPS Education Service Center at 31st and New Haven. Hours of operation are Fridays 5pm to midnight, Saturdays 10am to midnight and Sundays 12pm to midnight.
- Public transportation can drop off and pick up at Expo Square.
- On site parking, which costs $20. The fair takes cash or card.
- Residential street parking.
But for those who choose that last option, Noonan has one request.
"When we’re walking through here, these streets aren’t exactly the widest," he said. "Sometimes people are speeding a bit too fast, so we just ask that people show respect to people that are walking and people that live in the neighborhood.”
The Tulsa State Fair provided best routes for drivers outside of the immediate Tulsa area interested in visiting.
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