Monterey County’s event tracker serves an added purpose: helping dodge Car Week traffic.

It should come as no surprise that Car Week generates standstill traffic. The events (at least 26 this year) draw car-lovers, up to 100,000 of them, many driving a vehicle they’d like to show off.

But traffic was not the primary motivation for officials in Monterey County’s Housing and Community Development Department to find a better way to track Car Week events – it was the headache of permitting to ensure things like emergency response routes and public safety could keep up with the dozens of events. “We began noticing that some events were set to occur on the same date and sometimes the same venue, or within a couple of miles of each other,” according to a tracker project summary. “Specific areas of concern were Carmel Valley Road and Highway 68 traffic congestion.”

A solution that emerged in 2018 was the utilization of a mapping tool the county already subscribes to and pays for (ArcGIS). HCD officials input information about each permitted event – as well as known events within city limits, and outside the county’s permitting jurisdiction – with the effect of creating a public-facing event tracker. Event details are listed day by day, along with live maps showing traffic and links to live traffic cameras. The effect is something that’s useful for locals trying to avoid traffic (or confirm an event is legit) and for visitors trying to get to events – as well as first responders. “We wanted to make something that would be used as a tool,” says Dina Northcutt of HCD.

And it is being used. Last year, there were 20,882 views of the tracker – at mccarweek.com – during the 10 days of Car Week.

The tracker was recognized with an award from the California State Association of Counties in the government finance, administration & technology category in 2021. Part of what makes it a winning innovation, Northcutt says, is its simplicity: “It can be replicated and used for other counties.”

Its replicability also applies within Monterey County. It’s used year-round for all permitted events.