The traffic study commissioned by the City of Marysville to support the proposed NASCAR track has been completed. It states that in order to make the racing experience a “fun event” for the fans, traffic must be able to clear the area within 21/2 hours after a race is finished. Marysville’s elected officials have stated from the beginning that one of the primary reasons they want the track is to reap the benefit of race fans spending money in the local area when they attend a race.
Let me get this straight. Based on the study, it is preferred that as many fans as possible use proposed Park &Ride lots outside the area to be bused in, or take the train to the races. I wonder how many of these fans are going to hop off the bus or train as it speeds through Marysville, just so they can spend their money at local businesses. And since the primary focus is to get the fans out of town as quickly as possible to keep the event “fun” for them, it doesn’t seem they’ll be dropping too much into the local coffers once the race is finished, either.
Is it possible the city is using the fans coming into town as a carrot on a stick to garner the support of local businesses? I wonder how these business owners will feel once they see these thousands upon thousands of race fans bypassing Marysville in order to get out of the traffic nightmare as quickly as possible.
For all you small business owners, this is the same scenario that plays out in other racetrack locales. The thousands of fans have one thing on their minds when the race is over – the quickest way out of Dodge, or in this case, Marysville.
William E. Brown
Arlington
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