A motorcycle passes through a tunnel on Iron Mountain Road on the way to Mount Rushmore during the 73rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. (Getty Images)
Traffic counters recorded a 16% decline from five-year averages during the first four days of this year’s Sturgis motorcycle rally, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Counts at nine locations entering Sturgis were down 13% from the five-year average on Friday, and were down 37% from the five-year average on Saturday.
The counts rebounded to a 4% increase from the five-year average on Sunday, but were down again on Monday, by 17% compared to the previous five-year average.
Through Monday, traffic counters had recorded 194,851 vehicles over the rally’s first four days, compared to the five-year average of 232,353.
The Department of Transportation’s news release did not speculate on the reason for the declining traffic, but weather could be one factor, as unseasonably cool and rainy weather prevailed during the rally’s opening days.
The rally began Friday and continues through Sunday, Aug. 13.
Sturgis traffic counts
The traffic counts to date at nine locations entering Sturgis :
Friday, Aug. 4: 45,652 vehicles entered
- Down 13.4% from the previous five-year average
Saturday, Aug. 5: 38,126 vehicles entered
- Down 37.3% from the previous five-year average
Sunday, Aug. 6: 60,586 vehicles entered
- Up 4.4% from the previous five-year average
Monday, Aug. 7: 50,487 vehicles entered
- Down 16.9% from the previous five-year average
2023 Total to Date: 194,851 vehicles
- Previous five-year average to date: 232,353 vehicles
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