Arena Parking Challenge

[mean]

So where is the FREE parking?

In the suburbs where it belongs.

[chrizow]

In the suburbs where it belongs.

slash basically every street downtown after 6, the crossroads, and river market.

[ignatius]

This is bizarre.  In Atlanta (and many other cities), you can buy parking tickets on Ticketmaster for the arena.  $12.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/114689

[GRID]

This is bizarre.  In Atlanta (and many other cities), you can buy parking tickets on Ticketmaster for the arena.  $12.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/114689

I've seen this for KC too.

[anniewarbucks]

Let me get this straight You buy a parking ticket for the event and you are pretty much guarenteed a parking spot? One question though. What happens if there is someone parked in your place when you arive?

[KCPowercat]

This is bizarre.  In Atlanta (and many other cities), you can buy parking tickets on Ticketmaster for the arena.  $12.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/114689

royals do that as well...must be parking they control.

[KCPowercat]

A friend of mine said his mom just was told that Commerce employees can use their garages free of charge for events....which tells me two things.

1. Those big commerce garages will be open for events - good
2. Big surprise tower/commerce would do that...figure they would make all parkers pay - also good.

This almost guarantees you'll have pedestrian flow south down Walnut and Main for events....good news.

[scooterj]

A friend of mine said his mom just was told that Commerce employees can use their garages free of charge for events....which tells me two things.

1. Those big commerce garages will be open for events - good
2. Big surprise tower/commerce would do that...figure they would make all parkers pay - also good.

This almost guarantees you'll have pedestrian flow south down Walnut and Main for events....good news.

Yep, I have a pass for one of those garages that I use occasionally and I'll be sharing it with my family whenever they come up for events.    Now, we do pay a monthly fee for the pass, but not having to pay extra for special events is a definite plus.   

If people find those garages and use them, they'll quickly discover Fred P. Ott's, The Mango Room, Cupini's, and at least one Starbucks.  Maybe even places like the KFC/PZH, Scooter's, Jason's Deli, and Winsteads might take notice and open a little longer.  Depending on the route they take they may also find Jimmy John's and Azul.

I wonder if the arena's north and east entrances will be used much or if they are going to route everyone around to enter on Grand?    It'd be nice to see some of that foot traffic go north on McGee and north and south along Oak.

Though I'm sick with a cold, I plan to be out with my camera tomorrow evening checking out the crowds and stopping by Zoo Bar for a few drinks.

[Tosspot]

Let me get this straight You buy a parking ticket for the event and you are pretty much guarenteed a parking spot? One question though. What happens if there is someone parked in your place when you arive?

You really don't make this stuff up do you?

People aren't assigned specific parking spots.

[scooterj]

Well so much for the parking problem.

A quick walk through the downtown area shows that the most people are paying for parking tonight is $10.  Most garages were $5, I even saw some $2 and $1 garages.

It's now 20 minutes to showtime and through the webcam I see that the Town Pavillion garage is only about 2/3 full so far.  Every garage I passed had many visible empty spaces, I even found available free street parking within a 6-8 minute walk.  In fact instead of garages jacking up prices, they were lowering them.  One garage that was $5 when I walked by the first time was $2 when I walked by again half an hour later.  No one seemed lost or unable to find parking, instead they were finding it plentiful.

Just as we all expected.

I just don't understand how so many people feared a parking disaster when this district routinely absorbs three times the capacity of the arena every workday.

Oh, and as for the horrible backups expected?  Here's 13th & Grand at 7:00pm:

[AllThingsKC]

And the nay sayers are.... where?????????????????????

[scooterj]

And the nay sayers are.... where?????????????????????

Cowering in  the suburbs or their mom's basements. 

[AllThingsKC]

Cowering in  the suburbs or their mom's basements.   :lol:

Oh, is that why there's not much of a parking problem?  The nay sayers are hiding!   

[anniewarbucks]

This is bizarre.  In Atlanta (and many other cities), you can buy parking tickets on Ticketmaster for the arena.  $12.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/114689

You really don't make this stuff up do you?

People aren't assigned specific parking spots.

This was the post that I was refering to. I have seen some parking tickets for SC events while glancing through the link. As I asked in my post Say you buy a parking ticket from ticketmaster. You have this ticket that more or less says that you are guarenteed a parking space. These parking spaces are normaly used during the day for downtown employees, some are assigned. When you arrive to park your vehicle in the space that your ticket says your parking space may be in use by one of the employees. Who is entitled to this space You or the Employee?

[Tosspot]

This was the post that I was refering to. I have seen some parking tickets for SC events while glancing through the link. As I asked in my post Say you buy a parking ticket from ticketmaster. You have this ticket that more or less says that you are guarenteed a parking space. These parking spaces are normaly used during the day for downtown employees, some are assigned. When you arrive to park your vehicle in the space that your ticket says your parking space may be in use by one of the employees. Who is entitled to this space You or the Employee?

I think the person who bought the ticket, not the employee. Those tickets are sold assuming the employee would have vacated the parking area by the time the arena event comes around.

[anniewarbucks]

Okay that was the answer I was looking for Thank you.

[ComandanteCero]

Interestingly, saw that one of those small businesses on Oak (just south of Truman across from the Star printing building) was offering parking at $15 (which I thought was ridiculous, considering there was plenty of $10/$5 surface parking a couple of blocks west.... not to mention the abundant $2 parking garages throughout the Loop).  I was thinking i'd maybe give a shout out to the old lady in the lawn chair waiting for customers (it was empty at that point), to lower her price.  But i figure "eh, she'll learn the hard way".

When i passed by again about 20 minutes later there were already four people parked....

I guess a sucker really is born every minute

[shinatoo]

KC Arena Parking issues: Much Ado About Nothing!

[MightyKC]

The lot behing retro inferno was charging $50.  I just about wrecked when I saw that.  The Wallstreet garage is closer and was charging $10. 

[DaveKCMO]

T&I committee is hearing a sprint center parking report right now on channel 2.