Tom Carpenter usually rolls into his office in the Bank of America building between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. He's fortunate to not have a set schedule - unlike his wife - and a boss who lets him come and go as he pleases.

But this week he's planning on getting an early start, so he can outrun the crowd that could be coming downtown for Super Bowl LI fun.

"I'll be gone by 4," Carpenter said last week. "That's my plan."

One million visitors are expected at Discovery Green for festivities related to the game throughout the week, with numerous street closures planned around the George R. Brown Convention Center and nearby Toyota Center. Other closings are planned near NRG Park, especially on game day.

In essence, players on offense and defense won't be the only ones taking a hit because of the Super Bowl. Houstonians, especially those who commute inside Loop 610, will need a game plan, too, when events return on Wednesday.Roughly 150,000 people work downtown daily, making it the most populous job center in the region, crossed by freeways that form the hub of Houston's transportation network. Slightly less than 400,000 people live within a five mile drive of downtown, according to the Houston Downtown Management District.

As a result, it's already some of the heaviest traffic faced by commuters in the region. Every downtown freeway averages more than 200,000 vehicles per day near downtown, and that's before more than 6,000 downtown hotel rooms are filled with football fans.

With many events and travelers spread across the city, officials expect heavy traffic in downtown, Midtown and Uptown - pretty much any neighborhood with "town" in its name and a lot of hotels.

The refrain from organizers - who are focused on attracting people to the area, not repelling them - is plan ahead, know all of your options and find the best timing with caution that trips could take longer.

"You need to know before you go, even for what would be your normal commute if you work downtown," said Metro chief operating officer Andy Skabowski.

Houston TranStar, which feeds traffic info to online maps such as Waze and Google Maps, might be more valuable than your car keys this week if your trip includes a jaunt downtown.

As with any major event, traffic will be heaviest when people are coming and going. So unless you want to get sucked into the crowd, dinner plans downtown this week might be a mistake.

For those ready to celebrate, all of the concerts, celebrations and exhibits are a welcome distraction expected to draw thousands. But for potentially millions more, the melee is something to avoid, and those who cant avoid it are building in more time to travel.

"I guess I'll just leave a little earlier," Rodney Church said as he waited for a Route 40 bus on Lamar on Wednesday.

Back to Gallery Houstonians will need a game plan to avoid Super Bowl... 14 1 of 14 Photo: Yi-Chin Lee / Houston Chronicle, Houston Chronicle 2 of 14 Photo: David J. Phillip, STF 3 of 14 4 of 14 5 of 14 Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle 6 of 14 Photo: James Nielsen, Staff 7 of 14 Photo: Bahram Mark Sobhani, Staff 8 of 14 Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle 9 of 14 Photo: Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle 10 of 14 Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff 11 of 14 Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff 12 of 14 Photo: Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle 13 of 14 Photo: Bowl & Barrel 14 of 14 Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle



























Along with a more complicated commute, bus service through downtown could be delayed either by detours and heavy traffic or more people hopping aboard - meaning more stops and longer times loading and unloading, Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said. Like with driving, transit officials said planning more time for trips is the best bet.

Despite the hoopla, it's likely those who want to avoid the events can easily pull it off, transportation experts said.

"Seems like most of the traffic pain will be felt on the east side of downtown near Discovery Green and near (NRG) Stadium," said Geoff Carleton, principal at Traffic Engineers Inc., a transportation planning and engineering firm in downtown Houston. "These seem like they should be manageable for most people with a bit of planning and a small and temporary inconvenience for all the fun that the Super Bowl festivities should bring."

Avoiding the activities for anyone outside downtown, Texas Medical Center and south Main area is easy: Just don't go there.

"You couldn't pay me $10,000 to get in that mess," said Sylvia Frost, 60, of Bellaire.

Frost, who openly admits cheering for the Texans and "whoever Dallas is playing," said she and her husband would rather watch the game with 15 friends and neighbors as opposed to 15,000 fellow Houstonians.

"That's for someone younger than me," Frost laughed.

Those who live and work in the area, however, might have to put some thought into things.

When possible, commuters can change their routine and hit the road earlier or later to avoid peak travel. In some cases, widely detouring around closings by a few blocks might save some time stuck in gridlock.

Metro meanwhile will add options for those who want to evacuate before the evening rush via the park and ride system, Skabowski said. Similar to how Metro runs park and ride service the day before Thanksgiving and other holidays, schedules are adjusted to run buses around midday and early afternoon so those who want to leave early can do so.

Meanwhile many of those who can't get away are just settling in, optimistic the crowds will not curtail their own travel.

"I'm going to feel the effects of the Super Bowl in my daily trips - not only do I live downtown, but my office is three blocks from Discovery Green," said Christof Spieler, a Metro board member, who works for a downtown architecture firm. "But I'm lucky to be walking and using transit. My trips don't take longer if the sidewalk is more crowded or the train is standing room only."