Downtown Raleigh's sidewalk dining curfew, left-turn restrictions take effect Friday

Beginning Friday night, visitors to downtown are not allowed to turn left onto side streets from Fayetteville Street or Glenwood Avenue at certain intersections between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Signs have been installed to alert drivers of the changes.

City officials say the ban is part of effort to keep side streets clear for emergency vehicles and cut down on late-night noise. After a six-month trial period, the City Council will take another look at the ban to see whether or not it worked.

Another change that went into effect Friday is a curfew on outdoor dining.

The number of seats a restaurant or bar can have on the sidewalk will be based on its indoor seating capacity, and all patrons will have to be inside by midnight Sundays through Thursdays and by 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Prior to Friday, patrons can remain out on restaurant or bar patios until 2 a.m. nightly.

City officials said they received about 30 complaints in June and July over crowded sidewalks downtown and late-night noise. The dining curfew is also a temporary change. The City Council will look at the issue again in three months to determine if additional changes are needed.