By Lisa M. Rosellini
Public Information
If they're not here already, expect them soon. Within the next few weeks, hundreds of cyclists will begin dotting Centre County roadways in preparation for a competition that has been called "America's premier cycling event" -- the Tour De 'Toona. The cycling race has crossed its Blair County borders and will now include a leg in State College.
Touted as the biggest stage race in America for cycling with a purse of $100,000-plus, the Tour De 'Toona attracts between 850 to 1,000 cyclists who participate in one or all of the races that encompass six days and 600 miles. Now in its 12th year, the Tour De 'Toona has grown significantly every year since its inception and will wind through "Happy Valley" and a portion of the University Park campus on Wednesday, July 29 -- day two of the event.
"This race is a legend among bike racers in North America and it will have a major impact on this area," said state Rep. Rick Geist, R-Altoona, who announced the extension of the race into the Centre Region during a press conference in State College on June 19.
"You will have the 'who's who' of professional road cycling competing right here."
For years, the Tour De 'Toona has wound around Penn State Altoona's campus and, in 1992, the campus served as an Olympic Village for riders competing for a spot on the Olympic team. Once again this year, the start/finish line of the Altoona leg is at the entrance of the campus and volunteers from the campus will be involved. The Tour De 'Toona is an all-volunteer event and any funds raised go toward prize money for the racers -- the largest purse of any stage race in America.
Last year, more than 600 local volunteers in Altoona, hosted 17 professional men's teams, 13 professional women's teams and individual riders from 30 countries.
"In the past we have calculated that as a direct result of the race, about $4 million in new money comes into Blair County," Geist said.
Geist said that adding State College to the race agenda was just a "natural" because Blair and Centre counties are "so linked." The state representative said the cycling event will "open up" State College, the University and the Centre Region to more tourism.
Tour De 'Toona will kick off Tuesday, July 28, in downtown Altoona, when cyclists take to the streets for a fast-paced, three-mile prologue race that will force riders to negotiate a series of tight corners and steep hills. It is this technical course that sets the stage for the race leaders and establishes team times and positions.
The race moves to State College on the second day for a 60-mile circuit race that will take riders through the heart of downtown State College and on some major thoroughfares through campus (see story and map for more information).
On day three, racers will again tackle a 60-mile road race in Hollidaysburg, just outside of Altoona; on July 31, cyclists move to Martinsburg to make four laps around a 20-plus-mile stretch; on the fifth day racers will again be in Altoona and surrounding communities for a grueling road race; and on the final day of the Tour De 'Toona, Aug. 2, riders will work through a course of 30, one-mile loops.
"There is a synergy between these communities," Geist said. "There is already a tremendous cycling community in place here."
In addition to the road race in State College, other race-related events for children and adults will be held and Penn State alumna Lisa Voight will be honored. Voight is chief executive officer of USA Cycling, the umbrella group overseeing the Tour De 'Toona.
* To subscribe to a Penn State listserv that provides information about parking at the University Park campus, send a one-line request to LISTSERV@LISTS.PSU.EDU that reads SUB L-PSUPARK YOUR NAME, YOUR DEPARTMENT.
* For more information on the impact of the Tour De 'Toona, contact: Steve Shelow, Penn State police manager, at 865-1864; Penn State's parking office at 865-1436; State College borough police at 234-7150; CATA at 238-0625; Ferguson Twp. police at 237-1172; or Patton Twp. police at 234-0271.
* For more information on the Tour De 'Toona, visit the Web at: http://www.tourdetoona.com.
* For information on the State College events, call Downtown State College Partnership at (814) 238-7004.
The State College leg of the Tour 'De Toona will bring up to 1,000 professional bicycle racers and a potential economic impact of hundreds of thousands of dollars to State College, Penn State's University Park campus, and Ferguson and Patton townships. But it will also mean that on race day, July 29, Penn State employees and others in the area may not be able to drive on certain thoroughfares or park in certain areas.
The best advice for Penn State employees is: Drive to campus early, allow extra time for traffic delays throughout the day, be on the lookout for closed roads and alternate routes, park your cars in your normal spot or a designated alternate spot, and avoid moving them until the end of the day.
The race will begin and end at the main University gates at College Avenue and Allen Street. The men's race will start at 9 a.m. and end about 11:30 a.m. The women's race will start at 1 p.m. and end about 4:30 p.m.
The race route (see map) goes along College Avenue until Burrowes Road, goes through campus, leaves campus at the intersection of Bigler Road and East Park Avenue, spins through Ferguson and Patton townships for several miles, returns to University property at the corner of East Park Avenue and Porter Road (near Beaver Stadium), goes through a different part of campus, and emerges on College Avenue again for the finish.
Visitors to the race should park in the Eisenhower Parking Deck off Shortlidge Road. A $4-a-day visitor parking fee will be collected at the entrance to the deck.
Because of the race, traffic and/or parking on certain thoroughfares, parking at and access to certain surface lots on campus, and access to certain buildings on campus will be affected throughout the day of the race:
-- College Avenue. For most of the time between 5:30 a.m. and 7 p.m., College Avenue will be closed between Pugh Street and Burrowes Road. Also, from Garner to Burrowes will be closed between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. A judging stand will be set up near the University gates; expect congestion at the intersection of College Avenue and Allen Street. No deliveries will be permitted along College Avenue.
-- Allen Street, Calder Alley. The 100 block of South Allen Street will be closed between about 5:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Calder Alley will remain open, but no deliveries will be permitted.
-- McKean Road. Closed to traffic.
-- Henderson Building South. Parents with children at the daycare facilities in Henderson Building South will not be able to use the lot south of the Health and Human Development Building East (Brown H) to drop off or pick up their children that day. They will need to access the daycare facility by using the driveway off Pollock Road, between McAllister Building and the Hetzel Union Building, and following the driveway south to a small parking area sandwiched between Henderson Building South and Health and Human Development Building East.
-- On-campus parking. Parallel parking in a section of Orange G, along McKean Road just north of South Halls, will not be allowed all day. The section of Orange G adjacent to Beaver, Porter and Shunk residence halls will be open all day, but access will be from Pollock Road, to Mifflin Road, to the lot entrance. Access to on-street parking spaces along the west side of Burrowes Road, south of Pollock Road (Red E), will be disrupted. Access to parking areas accessed from Burrowes Road (Brown A, Red K and Red J) will be disrupted. Brown A runs from the Reber Building, past Deike Building, to Willard Building. Red K is adjacent to the Applied Research Laboratory. Red J is adjacent to the power plant. Occasional delays should be expected throughout the day at all lots that are accessed from the race route.
-- CATA service. CATA buses will travel their normal campus route until they reach College Avenue, off Shortlidge Road, proceed on College as far as Pugh Street, detour around College Avenue, and return to College Avenue at Fraser Street. There the buses will resume their regular routes. Temporary stops will be on Fraser, at the corner of Fraser and College, and on College, at the corner of College and Burrowes, on the east side of Burrowes. The main CATA stop at College and Allen will be on College and Pugh for the duration of the street closure that day.
-- Outlying roadways in Patton and Ferguson townships. Expect delays.
More details about the race's impact on traffic and parking will be provided in the July 16 Intercom.