Grand Strand officials may be closer to an agreement over proposed traffic patterns that would be in place during Memorial Day weekend to keep vehicles moving and cut down on “street parties” – which officials say can lead to crime.

Officials are leaning toward a series of pared-down traffic loops that would vary depending on the level of congestion on the roads, with S.C. 31 only being used as a last resort. The proposed traffic pattern is one piece of a comprehensive plan that area officials have been hashing out since Memorial Day weekend turned violent in Myrtle Beach.

Myrtle Beach also is shifting police officers to create a special team to implement the city’s plan to make the holiday weekend safer, which the city is paying for through a property tax increase and reallocated accommodations tax revenues. Surfside Beach – which had more traffic during Memorial Day weekend this year than in previous years – also plans to tap accommodations tax revenue to pay for extra officers for the holiday next year.