Convention center issues PAX East traffic advisory
The Boston Convention & Exhibition Center has issued a rare traffic advisory as it gears up for PAX East video-game convention, which could be one of the center's biggest events ever.
On Friday, the 2011 Penny Arcade Expo East conference, known as PAX East, is set to begin a three-day run at the convention center; the conference is projected to draw 63,000 attendees, said a spokesman for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority. From an attendance perspective, PAX East could be one of the largest events held at the convention center, the authority spokesman said.
An event of that magnitude could have a major impact on South Boston Waterfront traffic near the Boston Convention Center, said the authority, which is urging attendees to use public transportation. Peak travel times on Friday are expected to be from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., the authority added.
Last year's PAX East event was held at the Hynes, and a Globe story about the event quoted attendees saying that the Hynes wasn't big enough.
According to the convention authority, there were 52,900 attendees at PAX East last year.
PAX East is an East Coast edition of a wildly popular West Coast gaming convention. Founded in 2004 by a pair of Seattle-area comic strip artists, PAX is a three-day festival that celebrates the culture and lifestyle of hard-core gaming.
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