As locals know, fall in the Jim Thorpe area is anything but serene.

Traffic is snarled through the quaint town as thousands flock to the region to see the picturesque views of the mountains ablaze in reds, oranges and yellows.

Parking becomes a premium with lots filling up by mid-morning, while streets are overcrowded with pedestrians taking in the sights.

On Thursday, the commissioners briefly discussed the first two weekends in October and what it has brought so far. The fall peak colors are anticipated for this weekend, meaning the county seat, and borough officials, are expecting even more visitors to the Victorian town.

Commissioners’ Chairman Mike Sofranko said that the county has been working closely with Jim Thorpe officials and police to make sure visitors remain safe during their visit.

With regards to parking, Sofranko said several other lots besides the large county lot have opened for this month and urges anyone who plans on visiting to look online to familiarize themselves with other options. Most of these offer shuttle service to the downtown.

Over the last few years, Sofranko said officials have noticed a significant increase in the number of visitors traveling to Jim Thorpe in October and it has created logistical problems with maintaining a balance of keeping the vehicles moving, pedestrians safely traveling up Broadway and having emergency vehicles available if an issue occurs.

“The bottom line is there’s only so many people you can fit in downtown Jim Thorpe,” Sofranko said. “It’s something that we are having meetings constantly trying to address.”

A professional has been in Jim Thorpe the past two weekends, looking at the flow within Josiah White Park to see what changes could be made to better improve pedestrian traffic in that area. The county has also closed off parking along Route 209 to allow for wider walking areas for those looking to ride the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway or just walking into town from the county lot.

“The reason for those spots being blocked off is because people park on the east side of the borough, park in the heights section of the borough and ... when they come down across the bridge and walk down the walkway, they are walking out in the street and it is a safety concern,” Sofranko said. “... The commissioners took the approach to eliminate parking along there for two reasons: one, public safety for the pedestrian; and two, for the drivers going through.”

The board thanked everyone for their patience during these busy weekends, but also wanted to ensure residents that these weekends are continuously being looked at to try and make changes to better meet everyone’s needs, both local and tourist.