For three years Baltimore has celebrated Labor Day, a holiday dedicated to the contributions of American workers, in a novel way. We installed a race course that impeded commutes and reduced the patronage of downtown restaurants. But now that the star-crossed Baltimore Grand Prix has been called off indefinitely, we can enjoy Labor Day weekend just like we used to: by not tearing out a bunch of trees; not cursing (more than usual) as we try to navigate through downtown Baltimore; not trying to figure out whether an Indy Car street race is a net gain, a net loss, or a net we-don’t-want-to-know.
Baltimore Business Journal conducted an informal poll of their readers’ opinions on the race and found that 42 percent of respondents said the Grand Prix “was a financial mess, kept normal customers away from downtown and caused long traffic backups.”
Even Visit Baltimore CEO Tom Noonan said he’s letting it go. “I think everybody has moved on from it,” he told BBJ.
I don’t know about you, but I think this Grand-Prix-free Labor Day thing could really be a “game changer” for Baltimore
