Step foot on the track that the world’s best Indycar drivers will race on mid-April during Beach Streets’ Grand Prix View. The Open Street event will take place on Tuesday, April 3 from 11:30AM to 1:00PM when attendees can check out the track in a non-motorized fashion by walking, cycling, roller skating and more, the City of Long Beach announced Wednesday.
“As a mobility friendly city, we strive to create activities and events like the Grand Prix View. This is a fun opportunity for bicyclists, pedestrians and families to rule the racecourse safely and enjoy the streets of Long Beach,” Mayor Robert Garcia said in a statement.
Participants of the Grand Prix View can experience the track at their own pace, checking out one of the most famous street circuits worldwide. 1.5 miles of the course will be open to travel in the same direction as the Toyota Grand Prix, which starts the following week and is expected to draw more than 180,000 spectators to Long Beach.
“Whenever the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach comes to Downtown, this is the most exciting place to be,” stated Councilmember Jeannine Pearce. “During the Grand Prix View last year, it was great to see community members come out to exercise and socialize with friends out on the race track, and we hope for the same turnout this year.”
The public can enter the track at Hart Place and Seaside Way, just south of Ocean Boulevard. Free event parking is available at the Terrace Theatre Parking Structure. No motorized vehicles are allowed, and no animals are permitted except service animals.
The Grand Prix View is a Beach Streets Open Street event sponsored by the city and the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach. Open Street events aim to repurpose streets for bicyclists, pedestrians and other non-motorized transportation methods and to encourage participants, as well as other cities, to consider other ways streets can be used.
For more information, including a map showing parking and entrance points, visit the Beach Streets website here or call (562) 570-5333.