City to curb parking, traffic for copter survey (update)
(UPDATE: The city Department of Transportation has postponed the following event for a week because of a forecast of heavy winds Saturday.)
Baltimore authorities will restrict parking and periodically stop traffic at midday Saturday so a helicopter can conduct a survey of a possible route for a proposed high-speed Grand Prix auto race through downtown.
Parking will be prohibited on certain downtown streets from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the aerial survey of the 2.44-mile route through parts of the Inner Harbor and Camden Yards. A contractor-operated helicopter will be measuring the course and identifying necessary repairs.
Mike Evitts, a spokesman for the Downttown Partnership, said the proposed race could take place as early as this summer. He said any inconvenience would be outweighed by the potential benefits.
"The potential economic value is in the tens of millions in the city if this moves forward," he said. Among the roads affected are Pratt, Light, Conway and Paca streets.
Comments
Am I the only person who thinks that Grand Prix on the Baltimore streets is a bad idea... What happens if someone crashes and plows into a building?
Posted by: BB | March 11, 2010 8:36 AM
Barriers are placed between the streets and the buildings. Street-based races are done in other parts of the country (e.g. Long Beach CA, Detroit) without damage to nearby buildings.
Posted by: Mike | March 11, 2010 11:05 AM