Lincoln Police prepare for busy weekend of vehicles cruising down ‘O’ Street

It's about to be a busy Memorial day weekend on 'O' Street...

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Classic cars and hot rods will take over ‘O’ Street this Memorial weekend and Lincoln Police say they’re ready, with extra officers on hand.

‘We don’t want to ruin the fun for anybody, but we do want to keep it safe,” Angela Sands, a Sergeant with the Lincoln Police Department said.

It’s an issue LPD deals with every Memorial day weekend – drivers doing burnouts, bystanders running into the road and car parts flying off of vehicles. All of this has led to major safety concerns for thousands of people who gather along ‘O’ Street to watch the sea of cars.

“We have pedestrians injured every year,” Sands said. “Photographers will run out and we always have one hit or inured. People race and we had a pedestrian killed one year.”

Because of several instances, police created the ‘O’ Street Traffic Enforcement Project. You’ll notice more officers along the stretch this weekend, especially near 48th and ‘O’, where police seem to have the most issues. But in order to keep everyone safe, they need your help too.

“Don’t run out into the street, don’t go out there to dump stuff on tires or to go out there to take photos,” Sands said. “Don’t do the burnouts and don’t race.”

Also something to note, if you plan on watching the vehicles drive by, be careful where you park. Authorities say they will be giving citations and towing vehicles if you’re parked in a no trespassing area.

“The businesses between 48th and 70th all have no trespassing signs,” Sands said. “Parking lots have been damaged, their businesses have been damaged. We have had people come into their lot and ride on top of cars and do cookies and get hurt on their lot and then they have liability issues.”

Cars will be cruising down ‘O’ Street throughout the entire weekend, so if you’re heading down the strip, plan ahead.