NFL Draft in Detroit: Security, parking, transportation, maps and everything else to know for the draft

THURSDAY NEWS HIT - The hottest football party in the country is in Detroit this week. All eyes will be on the Motor City as the NFL descends on Campus Martius, Monroe Street Midway, and Hart Plaza in downtown. 

Crowds are expected. So are road closures - a lot of road closures. But with the massive footprint covering downtown, stretching along Woodward Avenue all the way to Jefferson Avenue, it's worth taking a few minutes to plan for getting to the draft.

If you're not planning on visiting the event space but still wanted to come to Detroit, avoiding downtown will be best. Getting around will be tough and those on foot can expect to walk miles if they need to get from one side of downtown to the other.

If you are planning on going, the first thing needed is the NFL OnePass app on your phone. While it's totally free, registration is required and you won't be getting to any part of the draft without it. Learn more about downloading it here.

Here's what else to know:

When does the draft start?

The NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27, which the event opening up to the public at noon on Thursday. The first round of draft picks will happen Thursday night, beginning around 8 p.m. The second and third rounds will be on Friday, and the rest on Saturday.

The hours of operation include:

• 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on April 25
• 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on April 26
• 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 27

Navigating Detroit during the draft

There are three entrances into the draft. The one closest to the stage where the draft picks will be announced is Michigan Avenue at Randolph Street. Just south of that is the east Jefferson Avenue entrance, which will offer direct access to the NFL Draft Experience in Hart Plaza. 

The only entrance on the west side of the draft area is at Griswold Street, leading onto Jefferson Avenue. The map below will explain where these entrances are. 

Detroit Road Closures

One of the biggest reasons to avoid downtown and plan ahead is the road closures. Almost all are in effect and will be until Sunday. They include Woodward Avenue from I-75 to Campus Martius, Jefferson Avenue from Huntington Place to the Renaissance Center.

Additional closures around Comerica Park will also be in effect since the Tigers will be playing at home this weekend. 

Luckily, if the closures keep you from getting from one side of the city to the other, the People Mover will be operating 24 hours a day and stops are dotted around downtown. A map of the closures is available below:

Where to park for the draft

Detroit is a car-city – considering it put the world on wheels – but that means it is primarily all about driving your personal car down to an event and then driving home. But during this event, that thinking is out the window.

The first thing to know is if you can get to the city without driving a personal vehicle - do that. Along with crowds of people, there will be myriad road closures, parking restrictions, and blocked garages. 

If you do plan to park downtown each day, you're advised to get down before 10 a.m. to avoid issues with traffic or congestion. Some lots that will be available for those that want to use the QLINE to get downtown. They include:

• WSU Lot 12 at Harper and Woodward - near the Amsterdam QLINE stop
• New Center Garage at 116 Lothrop - near Grand Blvd
• Cass Garage at 6540 Cass Ave - near the Baltimore QLINE stop
• John R & Piquette at 6230 John R. – near the Amsterdam stop

At WSU Structures 1, 5, and 2 at 450 W Palmer Ave cost you $10 per car.  The Bagley Mobility Hub at. 1501 Wabash is $15 per car (out-of-towners, you should prepay). The River East Garage at 214 Rivard Street will also cost you $15 per car (and you should also prepay this one too).

Getting to the draft

Metro Detroit isn't equipped with the same mass transit systems that carry people around other cities like Chicago and New York. Most of the public transit is run on public buses, as well as a few trams operating around downtown. 

SMART is the main operating bus service that stretches from downtown to the suburbs. Anyone coming from out of town would be advised to use one of these buses - which cost $2 a ride. For a complete schedule of SMART shuttles, tap here.

That includes three FAST shuttle routes, which will offer direct transportation from Macomb, Oakland, and outer Wayne County. There's a full list of parking options at each bus stop here. 

The Detroit People Mover is also an option - see the guide to the stops here. So is the Fan Shuttle Service, which comes with some more cost for parking at connected lots, but a bit more direct transportation to the draft.

NFL Draft Bag Policy

Those coming to the draft will be allowed bags that meet the requirements: clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags are allowed, though they cannot be bigger than 12 inches by 6t inches by 12 inches. One-gallon plastic freezer bags are also allowed.

Also allowed are strollers, small cameras, binoculars, and reusable water bottles.

There are more than a few things prohibited from the NFL Draft, with police placing extra emphasis on firearms; there can be no weapons of any kind allowed. 

Alcohol, beach balls or inflatable devices (balloons), footballs, chairs, stools, or other seating devices, drones, fireworks, pyrotechnics of any kind, frisbees, illegal substances, laser pointers, motorized scooters and skateboards, noisemakers, whistles, and horns, poles, sticks, missile-like objects of any kind, tripods, umbrellas, professional cameras without a media credential, and bottles, cans, thermoses, coolers, aerosol cans, cups, and beverage containers of any kind, unless purchased at an NFL venue or an empty, reusable water bottle.

Read more here

Weather during the NFL Draft

Squeezed in between summer temperatures next week and the freezing spell on Thursday morning, there will be moderate conditions with some chances for rain. 

Thursday will hit the mid-50s before falling into the 40s and 30s at night. A couple of extra layers while downtown wouldn't hurt. 

The same goes for Friday, which will be warmer but with chances of rain later in the evening. It'll be in the mid-60s. Clouds increase during the evening and scattered showers are possible on Saturday and Sunday. 

Luckily, the weekend will bring the warmest weather as well. 

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