Why is venue parking still mainly low-tech?

Mountain View city sign to parking lots

If it’s not the number one pain point for a fan’s game day experience, parking is at least in the top five headaches list for any venue, and from where we sit it’s a puzzle as to why we haven’t heard more success stories about technology-based parking systems. Is it mainly due to lack of control of real estate and venue services contracts, or is it just a low priority that is still an overlooked possible money maker?

For every press release or story we hear about charging fans extra for an in-stadium “experience” like meeting team members during a practice or shootaround, I’m confused as to why there aren’t similarly numerous stories about premium parking plans that are available to the everyday fan, and not just season-ticket holders. At just about any venue we’ve been to, it’s easy to spot where the club-level patrons get to park their late-model imports: Right near the door.

No parking perks for regular fans

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That’s an obvious perk for those who are scratching big checks, but what about the thousands of “regular” fans whose best bet is often just to arrive hours before game time to get a better spot? Why aren’t there more systems that would allow the upper-deck crowd to spend maybe 10 or 20 bucks more to guarantee a closer spot, or one with other amenities (close to the exit, bathrooms, etc.)? Is it because teams may not have control over lot spaces, or is it just due to lack of interest and/or creative thinking?

Maybe we need to dig deeper to find these stories ourselves, but if this kind of thing is happening at your venue, let us know. Though I don’t qualify for handicapped status, on some days a flareup in my surgically repaired back would make it extremely worthwhile for me to pay extra to be closer to the stadium, or to park in a lot that has a shuttle or pedicab service. I’d also pay a premium to be able to reserve a spot next to a friend, to make sure we can tailgate together.

Uber, Lyft causing cellular overload?

I also throw ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft into the mix here, and wonder if any venue has successfully solved what I call the “Uber overload” problem. Even as most venues now have a set-aside area for Uber and Lyft dropoff and pickup, I have now twice heard of a problem I’d bet is duplicated in many other venues: Namely, ride-share services that are screwed up because there isn’t enough connectivity outside the stadium to handle the crush of fans seeking that final connection with their driver.

Can you find your way to the Uber pickup at MSP? Credit: Paul Kapustka, MSR

In one place I heard of this happening — AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas — the Uber driver I was with said that many drivers had the experience of getting a ride request, only to be unable to find (and confirm) the ride because neither driver nor rider could connect outside the stadium walls. Maybe that’s improved lately (this conversation was a year ago) but the driver told me an interesting workaround — drivers en route to AT&T Stadium would first head to a fast-food restaurant on the parking lot fringes and use the restaurant’s free Wi-Fi signal to tell riders to meet them there. Anyone else out there have this problem and/or found a solution? Let me know. I will also start trying to check ride-sharing services and parking at stadiums in our profile visits, so stay tuned.

In forward-thinking places like the Westfield-managed Century City Mall we’ve seen parking technology installed with priority status, perhaps because a guaranteed place for the car is of higher importance to shoppers than to eventgoers. We have seen some parking startups help teams and venues shift payment systems to digital platforms, which has produced savings in time and money from the inevitable failures of cash-based transactions through a car window. But that seems like just the start. If your team, venue or startup has a story to tell here, you know where to find us.

Comments

  1. OK, I will take on the work myself here and find who’s doing parking tech. Up first, the Cleveland Browns, who have partnered with ParkMobile to help fans find and reserve parking spaces outside of the pre-ticketed lots.

    Take a look at this page for an example. I would say this is a pretty good start, giving fans a clear option of price over location.

    The Browns app, built by YinzCam, also offers a link to Waze which theoretically will crowdsource fans around game-day traffic. I’d have to hear from fans to find out if Waze can deal with the chaos of near-stadium traffic. Maybe for freeways leading in it could help but I haven’t used Waze enough to comment so if anyone has experience, chime in.

  2. If you want to see a model of a platform breaking through the antiquated parking headaches at venues, look at what Pavemint is doing in Los Angeles. With hyper local inventory, Pavemint is allowing event goers to prebook their premium parking space. This is a big win for music venues that can now attract customers who otherwise wouldn’t attend shows due to the hassle of parking. Pavemint is expanding into San Diego, Santa Monica and soon to other markets across the U.S.

  3. Sounds interesting but I wonder if the legal issues are all thought out… what happens when your car is broken into at a private parking space?

  4. Also, the fact that something like Pavemint is emerging is proof that venues haven’t been able to meet the demand on their own.

  5. Who is monitoring these “prebook premium parking spaces”? How are they enforcing the parking? Also, Colleges are a big problem as well. I have attended games where I thought I was in a 5k walk. I was feeling a paid shuttle service, but the logistics to that might end up being a headache as well. It will be interesting to see what is the final solution.

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