Long Beach officials have adjusted plans for a major bicycle race—set to take place on Mother’s Day—in an effort to address restaurant owners’ concerns that traffic restrictions could be bad for business.

Long Beach is slated to host the first leg of the men’s competition for the Amgen Tour of California on May 13. Amgen Tour of California President Kristin Klein, Vice Mayor Rex Richardson and other city leaders are scheduled to officially reveal the tour map during a Thursday morning event.

The route for the roughly 7-mile course will take riders down Pine Avenue to Shoreline Drive near the city’s oceanfront and eastward along Ocean Boulevard, then the way to Termino Avenue, in the area where Belmont Heights meets Belmont Shore.

After reaching the eastern end of the route, competitors would head westward along Ocean before turning north at Junipero Avenue for a chance to speed through the Retro Row stretch of Fourth Street before heading southward on Cherry Avenue and back to Ocean to complete the course’s loop.

A key issue has been whether the course can be designed in such a way as to meet race organizers’ needs for a competitive race and restaurant owners’ interest in serving customers who want to celebrate Mother’s Day, not see the Amgen Tour.

The Downtown Long Beach Alliance, a city government created organization that represents business owners, took restaurant owners’ side and sent several course-related requests to city Public Works officials. The DLBA’s position stated the final course design should keep Shoreline Drive open between Alamitos Avenue and the 710 Freeway, keep Pine Avenue open to two-way traffic below Ocean Boulevard and keeping Broadway open to traffic.

They did not get everything they wanted, although city staffers did figure out some ways to amend race day plans after receiving restaurant owners’ petitions for change. Public Works Director Craig Beck provided an update on those changes during a Wednesday afternoon meeting with concerned business owners at Parker’s Lighthouse restaurant.

Some concerns remained after the meeting.

“We’re big, big fans of having the race here,” restaurant owner Kurt Schneiter said, before noting his continued interest in seeing changes that may improve parking and accessibility.

“We’re very hopeful this will be improved upon,” added Schneiter, who owns the Famous Dave’s barbecue restaurant on South Pine Avenue.

He and other restaurant owners did not get to see a full course map on Wednesday; it was released by Amgen at 6 a.m. Thursday. Beck did show a map outlining traffic plans for race day. The newly-revealed traffic plan shows drivers being able to use Pine Avenue in both directions, with access along Shoreline Drive as far east as Shoreline Village Drive. That’s not as much access as DLBA requested, but Beck said it would allow two-way traffic in and out of Shoreline Village.

The traffic map also shows drivers being able to use Ocean Boulevard through downtown, west of Alamitos Avenue while race course restrictions are in effect.

“We really did try to address most of the concerns that were raised,” Beck said.

DLBA Chief Executive Kraig Kojian said he sees new race plans as being better than what city officials had previously shown, but there’s room for improvement when it comes to city officials’ understanding of how events and filming affect shoreline area businesses.

In something of a contrast to sensibilities along the shoreline, Portfolio Coffeehouse owner Kerstin Kansteiner said Retro Row business owners are excited to know the race course will bring the event to their street.

“We actively lobbied to have it. We are all in. We see ourselves as a bike-friendly business district,” she said.