>>> FIRST, WE GO TO PARIS FOR OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT.

>> Reporter: THANKS, BRANDIS.

TODAY WAS THE FIRST CHANCE FOR SOME OLDER PEOPLE TO PRESS NASCAR OFFICIALS AND CITY LEADERS ABOUT SAFETY AND TRAFFIC CONCERNS AROUND THE UPCOMING STREET RACE, WHICH WILL TURN DOWNTOWN CHICAGO INTO A RACETRACK IN JUST TWO WEEKS.

WTTW NEWS REPORTER HEATHER SHARON JOINT IS NOW WITH THE LATEST ON THE ISSUES SURROUNDING THIS FIRST OF ITS KIND RACE.

A LOT OF BUZZ ABOUT THIS, HEATHER, AND TODAY, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MAN DANIEL ESPADA SET THE STAGE UP FOR THE HEARING THAT LASTED ABOUT TWO HOURS.

TAKE A LOOK.

>> THE RACES THAT ARE COMING UP IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IN CHICAGO CERTAINLY HAVE A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS EXCITED .

THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF OUR CONSTITUENTS CONFUSED , FRUSTRATED , ANGRY , AND WE ARE NOT HERE TO DISPEL ALL OF THOSE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS.

WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE ACCOUNTABILITY AND OVERSIGHT .

>> HEATHER, THIS AGREEMENT WAS STRUCK SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.

WHY THE HEARING NOW?

>> WELL, UNTIL MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT LEFT OFFICE, SHE HAD BLOCKED THESE HEARINGS, BECAUSE SHE WAS REBUFFING THE CRITICISM THAT SHE SHOULD'VE ASKED THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ITS APPROVAL BEFORE AGREEING TO BASICALLY TRANSFORM DOWNTOWN CHICAGO INTO A NASCAR RACETRACK.

AND AS YOU HEARD FROM ALDERMAN ESPADA THERE, MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE DEEPLY OPPOSED TO THE RACE FOR NOT ONLY THE INCONVENIENCE THAT IT'S GOING TO POSE FOR CHICAGOANS, BUT ALSO THE SENSE THAT WE'RE RENTING CITY FACILITIES AND PUBLIC LAND TO A PRIVATE CORPORATION.

>> AND DOWNTOWN ALDERMAN BRENDAN RILEY HAD SOME WORDS TO THAT EFFECT.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT HE SAID.

>> THE GREATEST FRUSTRATION THAT I HAD WITH THIS EVENT COMING TO CHICAGO IS IN THE WAY THAT THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION HIT IT.

THERE WAS NO TRANSPARENCY.

AND I COULD TELL YOU , SPEAKING WITH NASCAR OFFICIALS AFTER THE FACT, THEY WOULD'VE MUCH PREFERRED TO HAVE COME AND SAT WITH US MONTHS IN ADVANCE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THIS EVENT.

AND SO THE NEGATIVE VALIDITY AROUND THIS, A LOT OF IT WAS DRIVEN BY THE HAM HANDEDNESS OF THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AND THE REFUSAL TO ENGAGE WITH THEIR LEGISLATIVE PARTNERS ON THE CITY COUNCIL.

>> REMEMBER, THIS WAS ANNOUNCED OUT OF THE BLUE, HEATHER.

NO HEARINGS, NO FORESIGHT ON IT.

WHAT WERE OLDER PEOPLE WORRIED ABOUT?

>> THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT TRAFFIC, OF COURSE.

IT'S GOING TO BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET AROUND DOWNTOWN CHICAGO.

BUT THEY'RE ALSO WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY.

NOT JUST FOR THE 50,000 PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO ATTEND THE RACE EACH DAY, BUT FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, IN THEIR HOUSES ON THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND.

WE HEARD FROM DEPUTY CHIEF DAN O'CONNOR OF THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT WHO SAID THAT OFFICERS WILL HAVE THEIR REGULAR DAYS OFF CANCELED, BECAUSE OFFICERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO WORK VOLUNTARY OVERTIME, THERE WILL BE AMPLE STAFFING THROUGHOUT THE CITY .

>> A LOT OF RESOURCES NEEDED.

LET'S LISTEN TO NASCAR'S PERSPECTIVE.

JULIE GATES FROM NASCAR ATTEMPTED TO REASSURE THE COMMUNITY.

>> WE'VE WORKED REALLY HARD TO BE AN OPEN AND ASSESSABLE AS POSSIBLE, AND IF THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEING FLAGGED IN DIFFERENT AREAS THAT WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

>> 50,000 TICKETS SOLD FOR THIS RACE .

CONCERTS TAKE PLACE, CLOSURES .

THE CITY READY?

>> WELL, THEY SAY THEY'RE READY.

IT WASN'T JUST NASCAR OFFICIALS ON THE HOT SEAT TODAY.

IT WAS ALSO POLICE, IT WAS ALSO CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS, AND IT WAS REALLY THE FIRST CHANCE THAT ALDERPEOPLE GOT TO SAY, LOOK, THE TEST TO WORK, AND IF IT DOESN'T, YOU GUYS ARE ALL IN THE HOT SEAT.

>> WILL BE VERY INTERESTING.

I TOOK A LITTLE SPIN AROUND THAT TRACK IN A CADILLAC TOWN CAR, AND IT WAS, IT WAS WEIRD ENOUGH GOING AT 20 MILES AN HOUR.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING OVER