Austin鈥檚 inaugural Formula 1 race may be remembered less for what it was than what it wasn鈥檛: the traffic-choking, city-closing snarl many residents feared it would be.
Argument over what financial role 鈥� if any 鈥� the city would play regarding F1 were largely left in the rearview mirror; in 2011, the Austin City Council approved that let them tap the state鈥檚 Major Events Trust Fund, without the city having to pay into the fund first.
Instead, questions over Austin鈥檚 F1 readiness dominated headlines in 2012.
Traffic was the biggest question. Elroy residents over whether existing roads will be able to handle the race day traffic. And initial plans for the race鈥檚 Fan Fest downtown to take over Auditorium Shores got the kibosh, amid concerns gridlock would hamper at the nearby Palmer Events Center.
Traffic concerns weren鈥檛 limited to roads: the city considered building at the airport before council nixed the idea. And to shuttle race attendees to the track as well.
And despite not nearing the fever pitch of 2011, F1 issues did pepper local politics: unsuccessful mayoral challenger Brigid Shea made a major part of her campaign, while city officials鈥� was decried as a junket by some.
As race time neared, some ominous signs appeared: a fun run on the Circuit of the America鈥檚 track just weeks before the race was , while EPA aerial monitoring for hazardous materials underscored the at the event.
But when crowds began arriving in November, fears abated: The airport was , and while , transportation to and from the track was generally described as manageable.
So was transportation downtown: with locals avoiding downtown during race weekend, streets were surprisingly clear. That was : while many in the Warehouse District next to Austin Fan fest reported strong weekends, other downtown businesses didn鈥檛 get the crowds they hoped for.
Oh, and the race itself? .
Following a generally successful 2012, Formula 1 is coming back in 2013. Just when remains a point of contention: at last look, F1鈥檚 U.S. date is , meaning that dreaded traffic standstill could come to pass.
