Originally Posted on Foxsports.com on January 15, 2006.
I attend a lot of sporting events each year. I love being there when the clock runs out or when the last lap is being run. I regularly attend college football games, college men's and women's basketball games, and a variety of races. I've been known to travel across the country for a sporting event (OK, I cheat and take a vacation as well).
I'm not a patient person. I hate sitting in traffic. I don't mind parking some distance from the event as long as it is not raining. I know that I will sit in traffic going in and coming out. But it has been my experience that some sporting facilities know how to handle the traffic, parking, and fans. Others don't seem to have a clue. It's like it's a surprise that all these people showed up.
Sometimes, the thought of traffic and trying to find a place to park make me rethink going. Then I get over it, and go, remembering to pack my extra patience.
Here are my thoughs on some of the venues I've attended, and how they do on moving people and cars.
Iowa State University, Ames, IA: Overall, does a decent job. There could be some tweeks though. If you don't have a permit for the football games, you will be walking some distance or you will be tailgating for an extended period of time to be near the stadium. The permits lead to problems: My fellow fans apparently can't read the signs that say permit only. Thus, the traffic coming into the stadium bottlenecks when those vehicles have to turn around at the parking entrance. While this delay isn't lengthy - probably only 10 to 15 minutes, I'd think this could be fixed by a couple of the traffic herders moving into the intersection to check permits. Either that or impound the offending vehicles. Seriously, I see the same people trying to play dumb every week - they're on a first name basis with the traffic attendant: "No, Bob you can't get in - you still don't have a permit." "Sorry, Mark, Just had to try this week."
University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA: Traffic? I thought this whole area was a party zone that doubles as a parking lot. I don't think that they even attempt to direct the traffic around Kinneck Stadium. Plan to walk a couple miles if you want to get out within, say, 3 hours of the end of the game. The good news? The fans have plenty of adult beverages available while you wait.
Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC: I attended a wild South Carolina - Arkansas game at Williams Brice. We paid for parking and still walked about a mile to get in. As we were hurrying in from the airport and were late, we didn't think that was too bad. Traffic was kept moving and getting out wasn't a big deal. Only place I've seen tailgating on train cars! I'd be afraid I'd fall off the roof. Fans were polite - but maybe that was because I was cheering for the home team...
Michie Stadium, West Point: Plenty of parking on Buffalo Soldier field, and they had buses to the stadium from there. Getting in required a security check, and let me say that trying to get out made me glad they had frisked people for weapons. New Yorkers, who should be used to sitting in traffic, really aren't that patient. The traffic-directing Cadets didn't realize that since they were armed, they didn't really need to listen to the idiot in the SUV who was yelling at them to let him go next. It got ugly for awhile. I was waiting for the tank to show up. Given that it is a one lane road in and out, it was going to take a couple hours regardless. I loved the game at the stadium - it was a true experience to see all the cadets drill before the game and cheer during the game. Just be patient getting out.
Thomas & Mack/Cox Pavillion, UNLV, Las Vegas, NV: Lots of parking. Easy in and out. I don't even think they had people directing traffic, it was that easy. But then again, there weren't hundreds of people at the event I attended, and that may have made a difference.
Dover International Speedway, Dover, DE: My advice? Take a bus. Take a copter. Stay the weekend. Do not attempt to navigate this snarl. People were sitting in traffic for hours before the race, and then again after the race. I took the bus and even with the "special" lanes for buses sat for a couple hours on the way out. Whatever you do, take a picnic lunch - you'll need it when you're stuck in traffic. And you will be stuck in traffic. For hours.
Lowe's Motor Speedway - Charlotte, NC: Parking is easy at Lowe's. Getting out requires some skill. I don't know that the officers working traffic were really doing anything coordinated, which was part of the problem. Don't they have radios? The thing I noticed over the course of several races was that however bad the traffic backup looked, it magically disappeared after an hour. By the third race, I was timing it - and at the hour mark, I suddenly went from a dead stop to a slow drive out of the lot. Maybe I was lucky.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy, IN: These people have it down. There still maybe some delay, but nothing horrible. Given that they are herding over 150,000 people, it is fantastic. But you still need to be patient.
Darlington Speedway - Darlington, SC: I love this track for its ease in parking, getting in, and getting out. They have been doing it since the late 1940's, so they should have it down. I parked less than a 1/4 mile from the gate, and got out afterwards in less than 20 minutes. I've waited longer to get out of a women's basketball game, which only had 12,000 people there, not the 30-50,000 at the race.
What venues have an awful reputation for traffic? Bad parking? No parking? What could be done to make things better?
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