Honkin' Mad

NASCAR traffic moving smoothly to races at Texas Motor Speedway

@gdickson

No unusual traffic problems are expected during the big race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, even though a bunch of roads leading to the mega-track - including Texas 114 right outside its south entrance - are in the midst of reconstruction.

As of 5:30 p.m. Friday night, traffic is moving along nicely, as motorists heading home for the weekend in the I-35W/Texas 114 corridor jockey for space on the roads with fun-seekers heading to tonight's WinStar World Casino 350 Camping World Truck Series race, which starts at 7 p.m.

Buses for tailgaters: Shuttles to Alabama-Michigan game leaving 4 hours before kickoff

@gdickson

Fans who want to tailgate before the Alabama-Michigan game Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington can catch a shuttle bus from Fort Worth and avoid the hassle of traffic and parking.

The Fort Worth Transportation Authority - aka the T - will operate the shuttles beginning four hours before kickoff.

The T has run "Cowboy Coach" shuttles to Cowboys Stadium since the mega-dome opened in 2009, and in the past has left downtown Fort Worth two hours before kickoff. But the vehicles weren't as popular at gollege games as pro games because the college fans wanted to arrive early enough to get in lots of tailgating. So from now on, for college games, the buses will leave four hours before kickoff.

To ride, go to the Trinity Railway Express T&P Station Park & Ride lot on the south end of downtown Fort Worth. Enter from 200 W. Vickery Blvd.

Cost is $10 cash per person round-trip, plus $5 per car for parking.

“The change to earlier departures for college games was made because of feedback from riders and the public that they want to arrive at the stadium in time to participate in college tailgate activities,” said T president Dick Ruddell. 

For those staying in downtown hotels, catch a free ride to T&P using the Molly the Trolley circulator service.

More: 817-215-8600 or the-t.com

Scheduled College Games:

Sat, Sept. 1 - Michigan vs. Alabama - 7:00 PM

Sat, Nov. 24 - Texas Tech vs. Baylor - TBA
Fri, Jan. 4 - Cotton Bowl Classic - TBA

*Scheduled Cowboys Regular Season Home Games: 

Sun, Sep. 23 - TAMPA BAY @ Cowboys Stadium - NOON 
Mon, Oct. 1 - CHICAGO @ Cowboys Stadium  - 7:30 PM
Sun, Oct. 28 - NY GIANTS @ Cowboys Stadium - 3:15 PM 
Sun, Nov. 18 - CLEVELAND @ Cowboys Stadium - NOON
Thu, Nov. 22 - WASHINGTON @ Cowboys Stadium - 3:15 PM
Sun, Dec. 2 - PHILADELPHIA @ Cowboys Stadium - 7:20 PM 
Sun, Dec. 16 - PITTSBURGH @ Cowboys Stadium - 3:15 PM
Sun, Dec. 23 - NEW ORLEANS @ Cowboys Stadium - NOON

 The T also will serve Dallas Cowboys 2012 season playoff games.

 *Kickoff times of games in latter part of season are subject to change.

Traffic jams a good thing at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

Texas Rangers players, who are playing in front of massive crowds this year, don't mind getting stuck in a little traffic after work.

Photo: dfw.cbslocal.com

 

Free bicycle rentals for guest at Omni hotel in downtown Fort Worth

Cycling culture certainly is catching on in Fort Worth, where officials at the Omni downtown say they're just about ready to supply guests with free bicycles.

Don't wanna drive to NASCAR races at Texas Motor Speedway? Take a bus to the Samsung Mobile 500

Shuttle buses will once again be offered to NASCAR racing fans who don't want to drive to Saturday's Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Fare is $10 for the Victory Lane Express buses, which are operated by the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. The T picks up riders at Tarrant County College Northwest Campus, 4801 Marine Creek Parkway starting at 12:30 p.m. 

Buses return from the speedway beginning 30 minutes after the race, T spokeswoman Joan Hunter said. The last bus leaves the speedway 90 minutes after the race ends.

At the speedway, bus riders will be dropped off near Texas 114 and Allison Avenue, a short walk from the south entrance.

@gdickson

Highway 114 work zone won't stop traffic at Texas Motor Speedway; Contractor shuts down project for NASCAR weekend

NASCAR fans need not worry about getting red-flagged by highway construction this weekend.

The ongoing expansion of Texas 114 just outside Texas Motor Speedway will be shut down for racing week, an official said.

Here's a photo I took this afternoon of the new retaining walls that are being put up along Texas 114, near the neighborhood south of the speedway accessed by Double Eagle Boulevard:

I'm guessing the stock car image on the wall is meant to be a generic piece of art. But does anyone else think it looks a bit like The Intimidator's No. 3 Chevrolet Monte Carlo? Will commuters be holding up three fingers as they pass by the speedway, in tribute to the late Dale Earnhardt? 

Here's a statement from speedway spokesman Mike Zizzo:

"Beginning Thursday, construction will be halted for the three days of race action (Thursday-Saturday). We also have been informed that all lanes in the DFW Connector Project through Grapevine will be open on Friday & Saturday. We also will do our usual contra-flow on Friday and Saturday evening."

The DFW Connector Mike speaks of is a $1 billion makeover of the Texas 114/121 corridor in Grapevine. It's a good 10 miles east of the speedway, but for NASCAR fans coming from the Dallas area it's an extremely common and busy path to the races.

DFW Connector Selma Stockstill clarified that her company isn't contractually bound to stop work on the massive project on racing weekends.

However, she said: 

"Our folks are very thoughtful and sensitive when planning the work around race weekend. We’ve contacted the speedway and asked them which times they are most worried about in terms of incoming/outgoing traffic.  They have responded and we have made our superintendents, who plan the work, aware of this. Right now, we have no major work planned for this weekend. We’re also staying in contact with the TMS to keep them in the loop on everything going on."

View Texas Motor Speedway in a larger map

 

@gdickson

 

Texas Rangers Opening Day traffic is a bear, but once you're here, it's like paradise

I'm at Opening Day for the Texas Rangers. Traffic was incredibly bad this morning. I left far north Fort Worth at 10 a.m. and immediately encountered a freeway shut down at Northeast Loop 820 and Texas 183. So I turned around and took I-35W to downtown Fort Worth and then I-30 to Arlington. It took more than an hour and, by the time I arrived at parking, the closest spot I could find was at the North Central Texas Council of Governments on Six Flags Drive.

But enough complaining. It's freaking Opening Day ... and man, it's a beautiful Opening Day. The sun is shining. It's about 75 degrees outside (give or take) and people are tailgating like crazy. Here are some snapshots I took on my lo-o-o-ng walk to the ballpark.

@gdickson

Tres Pennington, 9, of Justin, throws a Whiffle Ball pitch to a friend while his family tailgates at an office lawn at the corner of Road to Six Flags and Magic Mile.

 Friends Ryan Clay, Clint Schneider, Patrick Rose IV and Martin Garcia drink some cold beer in the North Central Texas Council of Governments parking lot on Six Flags Drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fans pose for snapshots outside the home plate entrance to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, where the club has installed a statue titled "Rangers Fans," paying tribute to Shannon Stone of Brownwood, who died last season when he fell out of the outfield stands trying to catch a ball while attending the game with his young son, Cooper.

Super Bowl Highway signs to be auctioned off; Sports memorabilia from Interstate 30 'Tom Landry Highway'

ARLINGTON – Call it a sign – actually, 12 signs – that there’s still money to make from Super Bowl XLV. The big game is now a little more than a year in North Texas’ rear-view mirror, and signs proclaiming Interstate 30 as “Super Bowl Hwy” have been removed from the roadsides. But regional transportation planners see no need for those green highway placards, which are owned by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, to gather dust. So instead, members of that organization’s offshoot, the Regional Transportation Council, are taking steps to auction off 12 of the signs.

The giant metal banners come in two sizes – one about two feet tall and 14 feet long, the other about 18 inches tall and 10.5 feet long. They are made to attach to the top of the permanent “Tom Landry Highway” signs that are displayed along I-30 in Fort Worth, Arlington and Dallas.

Michael Morris, council of governments transportation director, thinks they’d be a perfect item for a wall at a restaurant, sports park or perhaps even inside Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might care to put in a bid, seeing as how his team hasn’t been able to find a road to the Super Bowl since the 1995 football season.

“They aren’t going to raise a lot of money, but they’ve been sitting here for months and they’re not doing us any good here,” Morris said during a break at the RTC’s monthly meeting Thursday in Arlington, where the signs have been leaning up against a board room wall.

For prospective bidders, there are two catches:

• Owners of strip clubs, or other businesses that aren’t considered family-rated, likely will not be considered. “Certain places, we won’t have them,” Morris said.
• Auction winners probably will have long-term but temporary custody of the signs. They’ll have to agree to give them back, if the region is selected to once again host a Super Bowl – perhaps as early as 2016. If that happens, the signs will once again need to be placed out on I-30.

Auction proceeds will go to the Super Bowl Host Committee’s Youth Education Town charity, which provides afterschool activities for boys and girls. The RTC likely will vote on the final auction rules during its next meeting March 8, and conduct the auction shortly afterward.

“I hope they bring in lots of money,” said Arlington Councilwoman Kathryn Wilemon.

@gdickson

Ferris Bueller takes another day off in Super Bowl ad for Honda

Dallas Cowboys TollTag now offered to North Texas Tollway Authority customers

Motorists can now sport the colors of their favorite football team while completing a pass on the North Texas Tollway Authority system.

A TollTag featuring the team's famous blue star against a silver background is now available for a limited time to existing and new TollTag customers. It costs $22.99.

Legendary Cowboys receiver Drew Pearson will formally introduce the TollTag and sign autographs 3-5 p.m. Saturday at the Galleria Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop. For more info, call NTTA 972-818-6882 or go to ntta.org/.

@gdickson