How to do a rolling enclosure without too much $$$

I can't post to RBR but here is a response to the dude who wanted to know how I can shit down roads
in Lancaster

The most efficient way to run a road race while being able to use the whole road is to find a
circuit between 2.5 and 8 miles long (can be longer, but I like to keep it simple). Get the local
municipality to declare the roads one way for the duration of the racing. Post fire police at each
intersection directing the cars the same way as the way the riders are going. Put a pace car in
front of and in back of the field for further protection ( this works best with police cars).
Typically the most a person has to go out of their way is one full lap of the course, but if you are
tricky and come up with detour routes and inform people either through a letter and/or maps to the
fire police you can usually reduce the detour distance to a couple of miles. This is easier to
convince the muni to do than you might think. The selling points are that the roads are not closed,
they are detoured which is something that most munis are more familiar with, not only are emergency
vehicles given priority over the race, but emergency reponse in the area for the day is increased as
you will have fire police and ambulances in the immeidate are on the day. Of course good business
practice would suggest that you write the homes directly affected by the race to inform them of the
race and invite them to watch, that you use and make a donation to the local sports booster club for
marshalling assistance, and that you make the local elected officials part of the program.

That takes some work and perhaps a little bit of money, but is an effective and financially
reasonable way to put on a good safe race.

 

Monkeyhillcs wrote:

> I can't post to RBR but here is a response to the dude who wanted to know how I can shit down
> roads in Lancaster

Please please please tell me that was a typo. STF

 

[email protected] (Monkeyhillcs) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...

> The most efficient way to run a road race while being able to use the whole road is to find a
> circuit between 2.5 and 8 miles long (can be longer, but I like to keep it simple). Get the local
> municipality to declare the roads one way for the duration of the racing.

Even if you have cops direcing traffic one way at the intersections, what do you do about people --
residents,etc. -- who decide to pull out of their driveway or business and go opposite the race's
direction?

This will almost certainly happen, even if you write to the people who live on the course. Who
hasn't seen cars go around cones and barricades and get on a crit course? People will always
find a way.

I have a course that I would really like to do w/out the center line rule. It is about 8.5 miles ...
but there are many residents. I have done races on the course the last 2 years, with a yellow line
rule. For the biggest field (1/2/3) I was able to get the police to 'push' oncoming traffic off the
road and to the berm. This was for safety purposes. We still told the riders there was a yellow line
rule because I couldn't ensure a complete closure.

I had police as lead vehicle and 2 motorcycles with officials. If a break goes away, and the lead
vehicle with it, then the field is unprotected or protected only by a moto.

Another problem I see is that if you say there is no yellow line rule, and a car gets on the course,
and someone gets hurt, then you are setting yourself up for trouble as a promoter.

Finding a road course with no residents or businesses is virtually impossible.

I would really like to put on a race with road closure. I have done Altoona and other races that
close the roads, and it makes for a much better race experience. It seems that in those races, there
are many cops and motos, and they will push all oncoming traffic off onto the berm. It didn't appear
to me that the road was totally free of cars.

Brian

 

> Even if you have cops direcing traffic one way at the intersections, what do you do about people
> -- residents,etc. -- who decide to pull out of their driveway or business and go opposite the
> race's direction?

It takes additional motor marshals and police. Also some additional stationary volunteers/police and
good communications. And you are correct in your assumption about trouble if a break gets up the
road. The general rule of thumb is that you need to "fill" the space between the lead police and all
groups on the road with police and/or motors.

One thing all promoters need to remember is that for us being out there on the road with police and
motorcycles may be a weekly thing. However for John
Q. Public who is suddenly confronted with blue lights and a motor marshal trying to yell through a
helmet the experience can be quite traumatic.

There is no single formula for a rolling enclosure/full-road type of race. Different courses and
different areas require different security arrangements. However (take it from me) you are correct
in your thinking that if not done properly a rolling enclosure can be a real mess.

Chuck Hodge

 

Monkeyhillcs <[email protected]> wrote:
> Put a pace car in front of and in back of the field for further protection ( this works best with
> police cars).

That's field, singular, right?

This is interesting stuff and I'll file it away in long term memory. But if all you are running is a
single field then a lot of things are possible that are not possible if you are running a more
complex race. Actually, I think that if you are running multiple fields you have to run a lot more
complex race because you need small field sizes. That is the approach for most USAC road races here
take. You run a lot of smaller fields and possibly hire a lot of officials to breath down each
field's neck to keep them in right of center.

If VOS was indeed large fields on busy roads then JL is probably correct in concluding that it is an
unreasonably hairy race. But I haven't seen anything that makes me think that a rolling enclosure
will work for the mainstream road race.

Bob Schwartz [email protected]

 

Many states have very powerful police unions. In Massachusetts, the only people allowed to do any
type of traffic control involving motor vehicles are police officers (non-paid "fire police" are
non-existent in Massachusetts). Road race marshals are not legally allowed to direct motor vehicle
traffic. They can "assist" the paid duty police officer. Marshals can only do crowd control.

Police and traffic control costs add a tremendous amount to overall race budgets in many states
because the use of volunteers has very tight restrictions (and the race sponsor is looking for
maximum exposure). Even the old Tour du Trump, after one "trip" into Massachusetts didn't want to
come back because of the high costs associated with traffic control.

The police union is so powerful in that state that road construction projects are not allowed to use
flag "people". They must hire paid police officers for any type of traffic control. I am former
resident of Massachusetts and promoted road races in New England. I now live in Pennsylvania and
have noticed a big difference regarding traffic control in each state.

 

> They can "assist" the paid duty police officer. Marshals can only do
crowd
> control.

A good point...and in most cases the way it actually should be. I have had cars literally push
barricades into me at all kinds of events (not just cycling). In those instances you have to have a
blue light, badge and a gun! It is amazing the curses that will come out of a little old lady's
mouth when she is delayed going to the store.

They must hire paid police officers for
> any type of traffic control. I am former resident of Massachusetts and promoted road races in New
> England. I now live in Pennsylvania and have noticed a big difference regarding traffic control in
> each state.
>

It always amazes me how the police in different states work. I have been involved with race
promotion in about 20 different states, and have had everything from free police to state troopers
we paid $62 per hour for. Luckily most areas have some type of reserve forces they can draw on. In
many cases it is possible to get a combination of paid and unpaid officers if you play your cards
right. But the bottom line is that it is worth it to pay.

I think my interest in this thread has a lot to do with the fact that I was actually right next to
the kid who got killed in Ashville a few years ago. I know it is one of the reasons I became a motor
official a couple of years later. We need more of them out there and if anyone is interested look
into taking a local official's course.

Cheers, Chuck