The good news regarding the Fourth of July (Sunday) in Eastlake is that things haven’t changed much from last year.

As we reported in April, the parking and traffic restrictions will be pretty much the same as they were last year. The only big change in the Seattle Police Department’s traffic control is to make E. Newton the southern line of restrictions and closure. Officers will be posted along Newton at Eastlake, Yale, Minor and Fairview to control access.

The attached map gives you the traffic control plan on a single page. Here are the more in-depth details:

The big question: What do I tell people who are coming to my place to watch the fireworks, which start a little after 10 p.m.?

Last year, Officer Mark Wong of the SPD told the Eastlake Community Council: “I’d get down here before 6 to 7 p.m.” After that, the SPD starts to tighten up access in the area west of Eastlake and it can be difficult to impossible to drive in and park. 

Your visitors won’t need a written invitation, but they will need to know where they’re going and where they’re going to park.

Other things you’ll need to know:

Traffic/parking map: Click to see a larger version.

• Parking along Eastlake: There won’t be much. Parking is totally prohibited on both sides of Eastlake from Hamlin south to Newton from 11 a.m. to midnight on the Fourth. North of Hamlin, you won’t be able to park on the east side of the street. Warning signs are already up and officers will be out and ticketing people on the Fourth.
• Pre-show limited access: The area west of Eastlake to the water will have limited access during the day (gray zone on the map). During the day, SPD officers will check with people attempting to drive in to that area to make sure they have a place to park and are aware that they’ll be towed if they park illegally.
• Traffic barricades along Eastlake: On the map, you’ll see orange barricades marked on Newton and along Eastlake. Officers will start staffing those positions around 6:30 p.m. Around 7:30 to 8 p.m., they’ll begin to assess the traffic and around 8:30 p.m. they’ll close car access to that area until after the show. You can always walk or ride a bike in to this area. After the show, barricades move from the west side of Eastlake to the east (blue circles on the map).
• I-5 off ramps: They’ll be closed from 9 to 11 p.m. (see photo). Mercer, Boylston and Roanoke are all closed at this time by the State Patrol. The Patrol will reopen them as quickly as possible after the fireworks. The Lakeview Overpass will also be closed for the show.
• Street flow after the show: Big changes after the show is over. The two blocks of Lynn from Eastlake to Boylston become a one-way street heading east. If you want to go south on I-5, get in the right-hand lane. Want to be north? Get in the left-hand lane. Harvard E. from Roanoke to Eastlake becomes a one-way street going north.
• Who ya gonna call? Officer Wong says if you see someone parking in front of a fire hydrant or blocking a driveway, call the police early ("The sooner before the 4th of July evening gets under way, the better," he writes in an e-mail) and they'll take care of it. Don't call the East Precinct. Instead,
• Fireworks: They’re illegal inside the city limits. But, folks have them and, as the SPD said last year, they just don’t have enough personnel to respond to them. If fireworks are potentially causing a fire or safety hazard, police urge you to call 9-1-1 and report it.

If you're planning on going to Gas Works, the SPD has a few tips at their blog.

That’s it for now. I’ll add updates if I receive any.

And, as you'd suspect, it's going to be even tougher than their Eastlake plan.

Traffic restrictions in the area north of Gas Works Park go into effect at noon. There will be designated access points for residents and guests. After 6 p.m., the access points move one block farther out. No parking in the area for those wanting to watch the fireworks.

And the Seattle Police Department will require guests visiting friends inside the restricted area to have invitations showing the address they are headed to.

The complete SPD blog post is here.

UPDATE: MyNorthwest.com has a post with a map showing the restricted zone.