A series of traffic restrictions are in place around The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, with the crowds now arriving for the start of the U.S. Open.
"We were a little concerned, but it hasn’t been as bad as we thought it would be," one woman said of the traffic congestion.
So far, most problems have been limited to the morning and evening commutes. The rotaries in Brookline are hot spots, causing backups and making some people late for work.
"It takes almost another hour for you to get to wherever you need to get to," said one man.
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Starting Thursday, 35,000 spectators are expected to be in attendance each of the tournament’s four days. To reduce traffic woes, there are more than a dozen satellite parking lots with shuttle service. Passes will be required.
The MBTA is considered the best option to get to the event, with shuttles from the Orange and Green lines. Larz Anderson Park and Founders Garage are available for rideshares.
"The tournament play is set to start tomorrow so we’re expecting higher volumes of traffic and people should know the Brookline public schools and schools in the area are still in session," said Deputy Superintendent Jennifer Paster of the Brookline Police Department.
People are being asked to avoid Route 9, Hammond Street, Hammond Pond Parkway and Heath Street. A number of residential streets have closed to parking and traffic.
"It’s actually a lot easier than the Ryder Cup in 1999. If you go up in the backstreets, there’s no extra parking. There’s no one driving around looking for spaces. It’s wide-open," one man said.
Here is a map of the Brookline detours:
