Formula One’s inaugural lap in Austin couldn’t ask for anything more: clear skies, big crowds and a Grand Prix on Sunday that could crown a world champion. But most important for Circuit of the Americas organizers, Saturday delivered few speed bumps to an elaborate plan to move thousands of fans to and from the track, in a rural area southeast of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
More than 100,000 spectators are expected to attend the 1 p.m. race on Sunday, and most will be leaving more or less directly after the finish, possibly creating long lines for shuttle buses and bottlenecks on the county roads surrounding the circuit. After the race, country music singer Clay Walker, among others, will perform, which circuit officials hope will slow the rush for the exits.
But more than 83,000 fans reached the track Saturday morning and left in the afternoon with relative ease. The only transportation hiccup appeared in the morning with delays of up to an hour reaching the Travis County Exposition Center, the largest of the park-and-ride shuttle bus stops.
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/transportation/as-f1-reaches-a-crescendo-a-traffic-test-remains/nS868/