The contest on the gridiron might be of secondary consideration if the NFL and regional transportation planners can't manage the traffic to and from the game on Sunday.
Michael Cabanatuan reports on the efforts of local officials, and NFL officials, to plan for the hordes of fans that will descend on Santa Clara for Super Bowl 50 this Sunday.
The NFL’s strategy for Super Bowl Sunday counts on adding hundreds of private charter buses, limiting the number of people allowed to ride light rail to the stadium, dedicating zones for taxis and Uber, and keeping looky-loos without tickets from hanging around the event.
Executing the plan will be a challenge. The suburban location of Levi’s Stadium, the lack of direct freeway access, the dispersed parking lots and a limited transit system have made getting fans in and out swiftly as tough as fourth-and-long for the 49ers.
Since Levi's Stadium opened two years ago, it's built a reputation for creating a traffic quagmire on any given Sunday—much less Super Sunday. The process of improving travel to and from the stadium is still very much a work in progress, according to Cabanatuan. Enter the Super Bowl.
Adding to the pressure are the painful lessons from a similarly suburban Super Bowl outside one of the country's most dense cities. Just two years ago, with the Super Bowl hosted in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the so-called "Mass Transit Super Bowl" fell well below expectations for transit users.
FULL STORY: Super Bowl planners try to avoid game-changing traffic mess
Uber Drivers to Protest on Super Sunday
It's easy to see why Uber would look on a Super Bowl hosted near its Bay Area home would look on the event as a large PR opportunity. Disgruntled Uber drivers see it the same way.
San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway
The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.
Report: Traffic Slower Near Bay Area Express Lanes
Highway 101 was expanded to add express lanes with the promise of reducing congestion for all of the roadway’s users.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
End Human Sacrifices to the Demanding Gods of Automobile Dependency and Sprawl
The U.S. has much higher traffic fatality rates than peer countries due to automobile dependency and sprawl. Better planning can reduce these human sacrifices.
Trump: Federal Government Won’t Pay for California HSR
The President has targeted federal funding for the California bullet train project since his first administration.
San Francisco Enhances Urban Planning Initiatives with Green Infrastructure
San Francisco incorporates green infrastructure in its city development initiatives, elevating the importance of sustainability in urban planning.
Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions