Travel tips from Circuit of The Americas

Circuit of The Americas™ provides transportation tips for guests attending the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX

Circuit of The Americas has released transportation tips for guests attending the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX, Nov. 16-18. With the volume of Grand Prix-related activities both at the Circuit and downtown during Austin Fan Fest Powered by Mobil 1, hundreds of thousands of additional visitors are expected in Central Texas during race weekend. The Circuit’s transportation plan has been designed to transport tens of thousands of ticket holders, media representatives and Circuit workers and vendors to the venue in southeast Travis County as safely and efficiently as possible, while taking thousands of vehicles off of the roadways.  Nonetheless, heavy traffic is expected during peak travel times in the mornings and afternoons, and guests are encouraged to follow these guidelines as they head to Circuit of The Americas: General Guidance for Guests

1. Leave early! Attendees should expect to add at least one hour to their travel time to get to designated shuttle bus pick-up locations and at least 90 minutes to get from accommodations to the Circuit with an on-site parking pass.  Circuit gates open daily at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 16-18 and the facility will be ready to greet early arrivals.  Parking lots at the Circuit open at 6 a.m. CST.

2. Carpool when possible to Circuit and to shuttle stop locations to help alleviate additional vehicle traffic on the roadways.

3. Go to recommended shuttle bus pick-up points to avoid overloading one shuttle location: in-state ticketholders should go to the Travis County Expo Center location, and out-of-state and international guests should use the downtown shuttle location at 15thand Trinity Streets.  Maps to all shuttle bus locations and Circuit parking lots can be found at http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/transportation.

4. Do not bring prohibited items on shuttle buses or to the Circuit of The Americas entrance gates; there will be no place to store them on the buses or at the Circuit gates. A list of prohibited items is available at http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/prohibited-items.

5. Guests with an on-site parking should follow the driving instructions printed on the back of their three-day parking passes to enter the Circuit; GPS should be turned off as specific routes will be identified to assigned parking lots:

• Those parking in Lots A, B, C, D, and F can utilize FM 812;
• Those parking in Lots E, F, G, H, J, and K can utilize Pearce to Kellam;
• Those parking in Lots L, M, N, P are strongly encouraged to utilize SH 21 to FM 812 or SH 21 to FM 535;
• All Lot Q traffic should utilize SH 21 to FM 812; and
• Alternative access for Lots A thru K exists along the following routes:  SH 21 to FM 812, SH 21 to FM 535, SH 71 to Wolf Lane.

 

6. Know which streets are closed to all non-emergency vehicles; the City of Austin has posted these closures on its website, http://austintexas.gov/department/event-routes-road-closures.

7. Expect traffic delays and anticipate congestion where it normally occurs on I-35  and on Highway 183 throughout the city, on Highway 71/290 between I-35 and SH 130, on main arteries leading downtown, and in the area of 12th Street, 15th Street and Martin Luther King Blvd. near the downtown Park + Ride location at 15th and Trinity Streets;

8. Plan to spend the day at the Circuit; there will be lots to see and experience; a calendar of the weekend’s events, as well all other visitor resources, is available at http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/visit; and

9. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes and dress for the weather.

Taxi and Bike Routes
Taxis that have purchased permits can also transport ticketed guests to Circuit of The Americas along designated routes to the venue.  Guests will be dropped off at a taxi depot and then can walk to the Circuit’s main entrance off Circuit of The Americas Blvd. There is also designated route for cyclists from the downtown area along Burleson Road to Richard Moya Park, just south of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.  There is free valet parking for cyclists at the park with complimentary shuttles that will take cyclists to and from the Circuit.

Guest Services Team is Here to Help:  Find the ORANGE SHIRTS
Circuit of The Americas has assembled a large team of Guest Services representatives who will be stationed around the venue—from shuttle bus depots, to entry gates and seating sections—to help guests get where they’re going. Guest Services representatives will be outfitted in bright ORANGE SHIRTS bearing the Circuit of The Americas’ logo, so they are easy to spot. During race weekend, race goers can seek out Guest Services representatives for assistance with questions or issues to be resolved.

About Circuit of The Americas
Circuit of The Americas is a world-class destination for performance, education and business. It is the first purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the United States designed for any and all classes of racing, from motor power to human power, and is home to the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX™ set for Nov. 16-18. Racing series joining the Circuit’s 2013 line-up include MotoGP™, V8 Supercars™ and GRAND-AM Road Racing™.  The Circuit of The Americas’ master plan features a variety of permanent structures designed for business, education, entertainment and race use. Its signature element is a 3.4-mile circuit track. Other support buildings include an expansive outdoor live music space, an iconic 251-foot tower with observation deck, an events and conference center, a banquet hall as well as a state-of-the-art medical facility. For more information and downloadable video, audio and photos, visit: www.CircuitofTheAmericas.com.