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Letter to the editor

Clearwater must deal with Ironman issues

Opinions of the Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship 70.3, which Clearwater hosted on Nov. 10, continue to flow in. Some are positive; some are not. Though Clearwater officials and those who own the Ironman franchise surely would prefer to boast about the great vibe of the event and the wonderful publicity it brings to Pinellas County, they have an obligation to deal substantively with the complaints.

The complaints are many, and they are serious. People seem most concerned about these issues:

- It was virtually impossible to drive east or west across North Pinellas for much of the morning and early afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 10 because of road closures. Motorists were told to use U.S. 19 north and south because McMullen-Booth Road and Belcher Road would be used for the bicycle race. However, motorists could not reach U.S. 19 because cross streets were closed.

- The race seemed to trump all other use of the roads. There have been many stories to prove it: Ill people could not reach doctors' offices, wedding parties could not get to the church on time, nurses were not able to get to hospitals to start their shifts, and residents were trapped in some subdivisions along race routes.

- Law enforcement officers directing traffic were said to be rude, overwhelmed, or unable or unwilling to provide frustrated motorists with information on alternative routes.

- Event planners told motorists to "expect delays," but did not sufficiently warn that some roads would be closed entirely. The advance publicity also failed to say which east-west routes would remain open.

At last week's Clearwater City Council meeting, council members were still pumped up about Ironman. There are many positives that should be acknowledged: the inspiring example of health and fitness provided by participants in an event that includes a 1.2-mile swim in the gulf, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run; the exciting competition on race day; the admirable effort expended by disabled or elderly athletes; the boost to tourism the race provides; the exposure Clearwater and Pinellas gain when the event is later aired on network television (12:30 p.m. on Easter Sunday, March 23, NBC).

The Ironman is a great event, but it needs more than chest-thumping. It needs fixing.

Mayor Frank Hibbard, who has made promoting health and fitness part of his first term, lamented that there have been criticisms of the triathlon.

"Sadly, not everyone is happy with it, but that's the case with almost anything we do. I haven't found anything yet where everyone was happy," he said.

But this is not a zoning decision that irritated a neighborhood or approval of a public works project that some people don't want. The Ironman is a massive event that affects tens of thousands of residents on race day in ways that are frustrating and perhaps even hazardous. When medical personnel can't get to their jobs, when sick people can't get help, when delays enrage motorists, or when thousands of drivers are left fumbling through areas of the county with which they are unfamiliar, the potential dangers are obvious.

Residents want to hear from government and race officials how they plan to fix the problems. Officials say that effort is already under way. Helpful residents have offered suggestions, such as adding more details to driver information distributed before the event. Officials also should examine whether it is possible to develop a bicycle route confined to the west side of the county, to minimize spreading traffic problems across the entire width of Pinellas. Planners might also determine whether traffic advice could be broadcast to stuck motorists via a race-specific radio frequency. The city should avoid scheduling other events on triathlon day and should announce the date for next year's Ironman now, so that individuals and organizations can plan around it.

Some of those unhappy with the event would rather see it canceled. However, the city has committed to five years, and the Ironman Triathlon can be a spectacular event for Pinellas if problems are properly addressed and residents educate themselves before race day.

[Last modified November 19, 2007, 20:44:09]