Andy wrote on June 14, 2007 10:54 PM: Let me just point out I'm a tourist not a resident. Having said that, this article makes very little sense and looks at the situation backwards. The downtown casinos had a captive audience of tourists, many of whom would never have set foot downtown without this event because they would have been on the strip. There were footbridges out of the idea and they were almost useless because as a tourist, leaving the Freemont St area on foot is like walking into a slum, so access to the outside area doesn't really seem like the main problem. If downtown can not profit off a captive audience of tourists with the hotels seemingly at capacity then something else is wrong besides the event that put them there.

Dave wrote on June 09, 2007 10:52 PM: Downtown doesn't need some lame Grand Prix to have success. All it needs is for the existing hotel/casinos to invest in their infrastructure and to maintain the low limit tables - if they do that, people will come.

dosboot wrote on June 09, 2007 07:24 PM: Goodman championed the monorail in his July 7, 1999, address to the senate.

Don't be fooled, the Grand Prix had many costs associated with it that were borne by the taxpayers. Increased police protection, re-routing of traffic which resulted in grid lock and countless dollars lost, businesses were often inaccessible.

Notice that the Neopolis boondoggle was not addressed. Silence will serve as an admission that Goodman was all over that one and the taxpayers are paying the bill.

Lee Yarbrough wrote on June 09, 2007 05:21 PM: We spent a whole day at the races and the two different grandstand areas we visited had plenty of people in wheel chairs in them. They had areas set up for them all over the place.

Better access would be good during the race but that is something that can be worked on. If they open more covered walkways they need to have them manned so that people don't stand on them trying to watch the race.

Many of the casinos had things set up on the sidewalks but that might have hurt them, it kept the people out side rather then inside of the casinos.

Easter weekend was not the best of planning. They should pick a weekend when we don't have other things going on so the town can see the benefit of the people they bring here.

Taxpayers did not pay for the new streets or the help to put on this race. Was all paid for by the promoters.


The Monorail has nothing to do with the city or Goodman, it is not in the city.

Tim Volk wrote on June 09, 2007 04:45 PM: "If the place was empty, I'd say it wasn't accessible. The people were there."

Hmm, did Mr. Freudenberg note how many of those people downtown during the race were rather able-bodied? Access for the disabled was seriously hampered. In fact, if the Americans With Disabilities Act applied to the situation, then the handling of access most probably violated regulations.

David wrote on June 09, 2007 12:45 PM: Was this event financed by taxpayers? Why is it that taxpayers foot the bill for gaming to make more money? Can I open a business with taxpayer assistance, all the while fighting any taxes I might have to pay?

Darrell C. wrote on June 09, 2007 10:14 AM: I have been watching Champ Car Racing for years, and I think that the Easter weekend was the wrong weekend to have it. There should have been safe covered walkways created over the course for the businesses. I think that a weekend change and walkways would increase the number of spectators, and keep the foot traffic that downtown businesses need.

dosboot wrote on June 09, 2007 08:34 AM: Holding a Grand Prix in the central business district during business hours was daft. Along with the money losing and taxpayer subsidized Neopolis and Monorail it confounds the imagination as to why the electorate supports Goodman.

Robert wrote on June 09, 2007 08:11 AM: Frankly I thought it was the best thing to happen to/in downtown in a great while and was a welcome invigoration of something new and exciting. How about having the downtown casinos more involved/ integrated into the race week and activities and see if that helps bring more foot traffic? If there are logistical improvements which could be made, fantastic. Lets not throw the baby out with the bath water.

David Layland wrote on June 09, 2007 08:00 AM: Ooops!!!

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