3 big uptown events? No worries, officials say

They’re coming – thousands of NASCAR fans and celebrities on Tuesday; one of the nation’s biggest conventions and more celebrities Friday through Sunday; and a major swim event, with an Olympic hero and international media, from Thursday through Sunday.

And most of this happens in three-block area of central Charlotte.

A few years ago, that might have been a recipe for traffic gridlock.

“But not any more,” said Moira Quinn, CEO of Charlotte Center City Partners. “We’re getting better at this big-event thing.”

Quinn and others advise those who work in the uptown area or plan to visit for this week’s big events to think ahead – consider using the light-rail system from south Charlotte, or select a parking deck in advance.

But they don’t anticipate end-of-the-world problems.

“We have a better traffic-signal system and the technology to control it,” Linda Durrett of Charlotte’s Department of Transportation said. “We’ve learned from things that happened in the past.”

The schedule this week:

Tuesday: The NASCAR Hall of Fame, on Stonewall Street, opens with ceremonies at 9 a.m. Most of the sport’s biggest figures, along with many of their fans, will be on hand.

Thursday-Sunday: UltraSwim returns to the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center, on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Stonewall. The field of entrants includes Olympic hero Michael Phelps, and media from as far away as Japan and Europe are planning to cover the event.

Friday-Sunday: The National Rifle Association’s annual national convention is in town, based at the Charlotte Convention Center on College Street and Stonewall, although a major event is Saturday night at Time Warner Cable Arena on Trade Street. Among the visiting celebrities: 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Friday and national radio talk-show host Glenn Beck on Saturday.

“One good thing is that the main events are happening outside the key commuting times,” Quinn said. “That will make it easier for those who work uptown.”

Quinn and Durrett pointed to the ease with which Charlotte and its uptown workers handled big crowds for other recent midweek events, such as last October’s “Get Motivated” seminar, which attracted thousands of visitors to center city on a weekday.

“We planned ahead with the organizers and adjusted a few things,” Durrett said. “And it went together smoothly.”

Durrett said one wrinkle this week is the NASCAR event.

“It’s a bit of a mystery,” she said. “It’s a national event, and it hasn’t happened before. So in some ways, we’re dealing with the unknown.”

She said major renovations of the John Belk Freeway interchange near the Hall of Fame and the light-rail option should help.

“We expect to handle this smoothly,” she said.

BIG WEEK UPTOWN

Here’s what to expect in the uptown area this week:

Monday: At 4 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard will close between Brevard and Caldwell streets. This is related to the NASCAR Hall of Fame opening.

Tuesday: Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard remains closed between Brevard and Caldwell. At 8 a.m., Brevard Street is closed between Third and Stonewall streets. The Hall of Fame ceremonies begin at 9 a.m., and heaviest traffic is likely between 8 a.m. and early afternoon. ALSO exhibitors will begin arriving at the Charlotte Convention Center, which is next to the Hall of Fame, to unload for the National Rifle Association convention.

Wednesday: Relatively quiet, except for NRA exhibitors unloading at the Convention Center.

Thursday: Heaviest traffic will be near the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center, especially in the evening. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, South McDowell Street and East Stonewall Street will carry the brunt of the traffic.

Friday: Watch for significant pedestrian traffic uptown all day, with the NRA Convention and UltraSwim each under way.

Saturday: Without commuter traffic, no major problems are expected. Heaviest congestion will be Saturday evening near Time Warner Cable Arena, where the NRA is holding a major event.