I got up early to listen to WSPD because I had heard that Dave Schulz was going to be on. (He was and he did a great job.)
So I kept listening, Fred talked about the Blade article on the expected cost increases to the proposed arena plan that we've discussed below. However the conversation turned to parking. Evidently the majority of those who called in think that paying over $5.00 is too much to attend a Mud Hens game and don't want to walk a very far distance. I kept waiting but no one made the obvious suggestion:
I have their solution HERE
PARK & RIDE...
Simply arrive at any of these Park & Ride locations one hour before home game time for a direct round-trip ride to Fifth Third Field entrance - $1 per person or $2 for groups up to 5 people.* No ticket required to Park & Ride. Return trips leave 20 minutes after the end of the game; or when post-game fireworks are featured, return bus trips leave 20 minutes after the fireworks.
It's a hit! Fans love it! No driving. No parking. No hassles. Convenient! A home run every time!
*Payable when boarding at Park & Ride before home games. Line service--$1 before home games; free return trip when rider shows ticket stub from that day's home game.
So we can talk about creating trolleys, etc but there is already a solution...
:-)
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9 comments:
I agree, not only is it cheaper but you get dropped off right at the entrance and picked up right at the entrance.
It also helps cut down on traffic congestion.
I think that taking TARTA is one of the last options for many Toledoans who love the freedom of their own cars.
Maybe as far as daily, walking down to the bus stop but Park and Ride does seem to be used more and for those that don't want to pay over $5.00 for parking and don't want to walk far it is an alternate suggestion.
:-)
this was interesting as it was about the Parking study commissioned by the Downtown Toledo Parking Authority.
Especially of interest was this:
If we use the Urban Land Institute suggested planning data for a sports facility, we find that persons attending a sport event will walk up to 2,000 feet. Vehicle occupancy is calculated at a ratio of 2.4 persons per vehicle for a 10,000-seat ballpark. Using these planning ratios we find the results to be significantly favorable to Downtown Toledo. 9,884 parking spaces located within a 3/8-mile radius equal enough fans to fill a 24,000-seat stadium. If we were to calculate adding any of the privately owned parking that is not typically available for public parking, there would be an additional 2,975 parking spaces over and above the 9,884 public parking spaces considered in this report. That represents enough parking supply to fill a 30,000-seat stadium. The 9,884 public parking spaces that make up the available downtown inventory are within 2,000 ft of the proposed centerfield entrance. In fact we have calculated that within a 1/4 –mile radius of the proposed site, there are 6,623 public parking spaces that equates to enough parking to fill a 15,600 seat facility to standing room only. Many of the parking spaces are closer if we were to consider a home plate entrance.
Only question is if this also demonstrates there is enough parking for an additional arena. Even if you take the additional 1,000 parking spaces listed in the Blade article after reading this older information I wonder.
Since I work Downtown and have a monthly parking pass in the garage across the street for my business, parking has never been an issue for me while attending Downtown events. I guess I could call myself lucky...but then again a monthly parking pass cost me 40.00 each month.
But I still cannot believe people complain over the $5.00 parking cost. This is cheap compared to parking in Cleveland, Chicago or Detroit. Expect to pay $20.00-50.00 for parking an any of these districts for a day's worth of parking and $10.00 - 25.00 for special event parking.
As far as walking goes....unlesss your handicapped, elderly or otherwise have health issues which would prevent you from walking...suck it up (or should I say in) and take a stroll! No wonder we have a population of bulging wastelines if people cannot walk 2 -3 blocks in a small environment like Downtown Toledo, only to watch in envy as they view the fit, well trained, athletes compete in Americas past-time.
The most I have ever spent navigating traffic and walking to my auto for departure from any Downtown event has been around 1/2 hour. Are Toledoans so impatient that even this small amount of time spent is going to send them off into some Road Rage fury or select not to attend a ballgame because they may be inconvenienced.
I guess Park-n-Ride is a great option for those folks whose limitations would prevent them from Park-n-Walk; otherwise I see it as just pure laziness.
One thing I do wonder about...Do Toledo Police step up patrol of those parking areas where Park-n-Ride particpants park their autos? I can just see it now...all the crooks in the city knowing that they have an easy target vandelizing and burglarizing your car in those areas because they know you are gone for the next 3-4 hours when thay can have uninterupted access to your vehicles.
Their are two lots in which you can park for free within two blocks of the stadium. Will I tell you where they are? Nope.
Agreed about $5.00.
$10-$15 is standard for Tigers' games, depending on how far you are willing to walk.
Even better - go to NYC and try to park a car. They charge $20-$30 per hour in some lots.
And people will pay these rates...
As far as Toledo - I am a big fan of getting early to a downtown event and parking for free on one of the streets in which one can still do so.
Went to my son's graduation at Seagate, parked free, and got a little exercise, while the schleps paid $5 and raced in at the last minute.
It's not downtown but Casey's Icecream shop on Arlington never opened so you might be able to get a good deal on it.
:-)
So, $ 5.00 is too much to pay for parking at a Mud Hens game.
How much, besides parking, does a family or group pay for and spend at a game?
When Mrs. Thunkit and I go to the Valentine, parking (right across the street) is also $ 5.00 and we think that’s just about right, considering what a pair of tickets costs us.
I suppose though that Park & Ride experience could be considered part of the evening's entertainment for those on a budget. I know that some attendees do watch their expenses in order to afford the game.
A few years ago, less than 4 hours at one of the famous piers in San Francisco cost us almost $ 40.00 . . .
For a little site seeing and a $ 20.00 lunch, now that was expensive.
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