Monterey Car Week organizers, CHP and county roll out safety and navigation resources ahead of Aug. 7—16 events

Sea Monterey, the California-based visitor and events coalition, law enforcement and county staff on Wednesday outlined preparations for Monterey Car Week (Aug. 7— 16), emphasizing visitor services, traffic tools and stepped-up enforcement to protect residents and commuters.

Rob O'Keefe of Sea Monterey said the county aims to balance the event's economic boost with resident impacts, calling Monterey Car Week "the epicenter of global car culture" and noting an estimated $130 million in visitor spending. "We all benefit from it, and all of us have a responsibility to do what we can to understand it," O'Keefe said.

The California Highway Patrol's Sergeant Mackenzie Crouch said CHP will deploy additional officers and make use of grant-funded patrol hours focused on street racing, aggressive driving and speeding. "We're going to be fully staffed for this," Crouch said, adding that the agency can impound vehicles for 30 days when drivers engage in reckless driving or street racing. "We have a zero-tolerance approach to aggressive driving, especially during this week."

County housing and community development staff demonstrated a rebuilt Car Week mapping tool intended to help residents and visitors navigate events. Dina L. Northcutt said the ArcGIS-based map includes an overview of major events, Caltrans live-camera feeds and driving directions that open Google Maps on mobile devices to provide turn-by-turn guidance. The map also flags whether an event is inside a city or in unincorporated county areas and links to permit-center contact information.

Organizers also plan a media resource center during Car Week to provide reporters and visiting media with centralized information and to amplify responsible-travel messaging under Sea Monterey's "Right Path" program. O'Keefe said the group held producer and media roundtables to coordinate communications and to help channels warn visitors about closures, hazards and local expectations.

The agencies urged residents to avoid driving during peak event times when possible, and to heed law enforcement signs and closures. "For the average person, presence on patrol does deter them," Crouch said, urging drivers to comply with limits and warning that aggressive enforcement will be visible throughout the event.

The briefing concluded with organizers urging visitors to use the county map and official channels for updates, and with a reminder that details and real-time traffic feeds will be posted on county and Sea Monterey event pages.