Bombers call Hail Mary on parking

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This article was published 09/07/2011 (5371 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Will a third of all Bomber fans take the bus to the new stadium?

That’s the hope underpinning a long-awaited plan to cope with the traffic and parking nightmare expected when thousands of Winnipeg Blue Bomber fans flock to the new football stadium at the University of Manitoba next year.

The plan, released Friday, includes longer and better-synchronized traffic lights, sweet parking spots for carpoolers and a cavalcade of buses, shuttles and park-and-rides. It also includes better bike paths and checkpoints to deter people from parking in nearby residential neighbourhoods.

City officials hope those elements and many more will help mitigate some troubling math. The new stadium seats 33,000 people but there are only 7,100 parking stalls on campus or within a 30-minute walk. Even that’s a liberal estimate. Some of those 7,100 stalls belong to nearby big-box stores which may not agree to allow fan parking.

More than a third of all game-goers — 13,000 people — may need to take the bus, according to the integrated transportation plan. Right now, only about five per cent of fans take the bus to the stadium’s Polo Park location. Each car parked near the stadium carries an average of 2.5 people.

The transit plan includes more buses on regular routes, eight express fan routes connecting major suburbs to the stadium and series of park-and-rides based out of most major shopping malls.

But Winnipeg Transit only has 545 buses, not enough to handle the three-pronged transit plan.

BBB Stadium Inc., the non-profit corporation held equally by the city, the U of M and the Winnipeg Football Club, will need to operate the park-and-ride shuttle system itself, likely renting school buses.

The stadium parking and traffic plans will be debated Monday at a late-afternoon meeting of the Riel Community Committee.

The transportation plan is required before the city will issue a building permit for the $190 million stadium’s superstructure.

Still unknown is how much the improvements will cost and who pays for elements like the neighbourhood checkpoints, extra transit buses and traffic signal improvements.

“We want to offer an entire menu, like a buffet, and see what people like,” said principal planner John Wintrup with the city’s planning and land use division.

After the first few games, the plan will be tweaked and improved.

The city hopes the integrated transportation plan, authored by consulting firm Stantec, will mollify residents already frustrated by the stadium’s location.

But transit and bike-path advocates say the plan represents missed opportunities.

A dedicated bus rapid transit corridor connecting the downtown to the University of Manitoba would already be built by now if Mayor Sam Katz hadn’t cancelled the project in 2006, said sustainable transportation advocate Ken Klassen. A separate busway would have taken hundreds of buses off Pembina Highway, and allowed for a speedier turnaround in transit times. By the time the stadium is open, the city will have completed a small section of the rapid transit corridor, allowing buses to bypass Confusion Corner, but it could have done so much more, said Klassen.

“It’s really unfortunate the city has basically blown the opportunity,” he said.

Bike-path advocate Janice Lukes said the transportation plan is still mostly about cars. She said the combination of a beloved sports team and a parking crunch could have been a great way to reach people who wouldn’t normally cycle or walk. And, active transportation infrastructure built for the stadium could serve students year-round.

“It’s the perfect storm being presented to tackle a more sustainable approach to transportation,” said Lukes, manager of special projects for Winnipeg Trails Association.

 

maryagnes.welch@freepress.mb.ca

Gridiron gridlock

THE city’s parking and traffic plan at the new Winnipeg Blue Bomber stadium…

Winnipeg Transit will devise a plan to pick up as many as 13,000 fans on game day. It will include more buses on regular bus routes, eight express fan routes connecting major suburbs to the stadium and buses from park-and-ride locations.

The city will specially synchronize and time traffic signals to speed the flow of traffic on game day, mostly up and down Pembina Highway.

An active transportation plan lays out all the bike routes and pedestrian walkways through the site. The plan is to create a multi-use bike path along University Crescent from Markham Road to the stadium. Several routes into and around the stadium will also be closed to all but buses or pedestrians. There will be 400 bike lock-ups on site.

A series of walkways, planters, raised walls, landscaping, lighting, ramps and other features will help guide people around the 22-acre stadium.

On game day, Winnipeg police will set up checkpoints to stop people from parking in the residential neighbourhoods such as University Heights and Fort Richmond around campus. Drivers wanting to enter the restricted area will need to speak to police and will be told they’re entering a restricted parking area. Without the right pass, they’ll be ticketed and towed.

Carpoolers will get premium spots and cheaper parking to encourage one car to take as many passengers as possible.

The football club will launch a major marketing campaign to alert people to the traffic issues and limited parking. Called “A New Game Day Experience,” it will highlight carpooling options, new bike paths, park-and-rides and other options to cut traffic jams. It’s hoped some new bars and restaurants near the stadium will spur some people to arrive early or stay after the game, reducing the rush.

An event manager will be hired to plan all the logistics and tweak the transportation plan based on data gathered after the first few home games.

An en route driver information system will be developed so fans have real-time information about traffic jams, parking availability and even weather.