How USGA plans to move 35K people around for U.S. Open
Apr 29, 2015, 12:12 PM | Updated: Apr 30, 2015, 5:58 am
As many as 35,000 extra people a day are going to be crowding into the Puget Sound area during the week of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. (AP photo)
(AP photo)
As many as 35,000 extra people a day are going to be crowding into the Puget Sound area during the week of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, and you only have six weeks left to get ready.
There is no easy way to get into Chambers Bay. There are two small roads leading to the golf course, but they’re not options for spectators — unless they happen to live in University Place. The United States Golf Association has set up two large parking lots, each about a 30 minute bus ride away, to handle all the daily traffic.
Where you’re coming from makes a big difference as to where the USGA would like you to go. Coming from the south or Kitsap County, you should use the lot at Fort Steilacoom Park to avoid messing with regular northbound commuters.
“Hopefully we’re getting them off the freeway south of the golf course and before we get into that I-5, Highway 16 [interchange],” said Director of U.S. Open Administration Hank Thompson.
If you’re coming from the north or east, the USGA wants you to use the lot at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup.
“At least we can get them off the road early. They’re not fighting their way down. We can provide them with a nice, comfy ride,” he said.
Highway 167 is expected to handle most of the U.S. Open traffic from the north. Highway 512 is also going to get hammered.
So what is the USGA doing to help residents of Tacoma and University Place during the week of June 15-21?
“Really, it’s just a matter of us trying to stay out of their way,” Thompson said. “Trying to park all of our folks, whether it’s a general spectator or even volunteers, more remotely so that you don’t have 20,000 cars descended on University Place — that’s our goal.”
Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy believes the USGA will be able to pull this off.
“I absolutely have full confidence that this plan, the transportation plan, will go off flawlessly,” she said. “The reason why is because I’ve been to four U.S. Opens.”
She’s seen the USGA traffic plan work in other remote locations like Chambers Bay.
McCarthy said the emergency plans to get police or fire to the course is solid.
The big concern for the USGA is the potential for a crash at one key spot that will not only grind the commute to a halt, but stops its shuttle buses.
