Because I am paranoid about this...I think I'll mention it here as well. I guess you could call this a 'traffic and congestion alerts' post for events near the convention center for the weekend.
Thursday - Sunday:
-Restaurant Week in Baltimore. A lot of places will be having lunch and dinner specials. Might be nice to take advantage of them, but be aware that there *might* be a slightly increase in volume as a result. Personal Prediction: Negligible - Minor Impact
Thursday:
-Ravens vs 49ers preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium at 7:30pm. Given this is the first preseason game, I expect this game to draw a *very* large crowd. The stadium can hold up to 71k...I don't expect that many people, but it's quite likely that at least 50k will be there. Light Rail, Metro and buses are bound to be extremely congested from 5pm to 8pm and 11pm to Midnight. Traffic should similarly be impacted around the same times. Parking will be probably be sparse around the stadium (which includes the garages near the convention center) from 7pm to 11pm. Be advised to arrive early if you're coming on Thursday. Personal Prediction: Moderate - Major Impact
Friday:
-Ravens/49ers open practice at M&T Bank Stadium at 1pm. This is the final open practice for the Ravens and given the 28k draw back on the open practice on July 28th, it is highly likely that number will be the baseline. As such, if you're coming by car, expect some slowing around Baltimore and congestion in Baltimore by roughly noon. Light Rail and Metro will also see a slightly increase in volume, but it shouldn't be *too* bad. On its own, this probably would only warrant a Minor to Moderate Impact but there's also a...
-Orioles/Cardinals game at 7:05pm. If you're driving between roughly 4pm and 7pm, traffic will probably be a nightmare. People will probably be trying to leave from the practice and others will be trying to get to the Orioles game. If you plan on parking at this point, you'll be looking quite far away for a spot. Perhaps near Little Italy is worth a go. This Friday night game is probably going to be a sell out for a few reasons. First off, the Orioles are doing fantastic and will likely be in either 1st or 2nd place by the time of this game. Next, this game will honor the 60th anniversary of the team being in Baltimore, meaning a lot of Hall of Famers will be at the game for the celebrations. Finally, it's Friday night. Friday night games *always* draw well. Personal Prediction: Major Impact
Saturday:
-Orioles/Cardinals game at 4:05pm. Honestly, this shouldn't be an issue for most people. I only mention it because you get a cowboy hat if you go to the game. For real. I personally kind of want to buy a ticket just so I get one myself. Personal Prediction: Negligible - Minor Impact
Sunday:
-Orioles/Cardinals game at 1:35pm. This, on the other hand, may cause some stress for those *leaving*. The game will probably conclude around 4pm, so expect traffic leaving Baltimore (both by transit and car) to be especially congested from both outbound ballpark and Otakon traffic from then to roughly an hour after the game. It shouldn't be *too* bad, but bad timing could add 30 minutes to an hour to your commute. Awareness is the key. Personal Prediction: Minor - Moderate Impact
So there you have it. Thrusday Evening/Night and Friday from noon to evening can be expected to be the worst inbound times and Sunday Afternoon also has potential to be a bad outbound time. Expect the best, but always plan for the worst.
