If the athletic department is serious about being full at KO

[Palatine]

Then why is the parking lot as far as humanly possible from the stadium? It looks like it's a half mile walk from the car to your seats. I sit up on the club level and could watch people as they were were still walking to the stadium at the beginning of the second quarter.

What's worse is there is no reason to park them that far away. The runway was empty for a quarter of a mile and huge tracks of grass were available where cars could park. What idiot designed this arrangement?

 

[noeynox]

Whaler was all over this after the Nova game. This is my first year parking in Gray after years in Blue. It is curious route they take you to say the least.

 

[BoatShow]

They should find some way to shuttle people from the deep recesses of the lots if they're forced to park that far away. I typically park at Silvas for football but for a USA soccer game last fall I found myself practically inside cabellas. It was outrageous how far we were from the stadium. Maybe 1.5 miles.

 

[Dooley]

I have parked in the first blue lot on the left off of the Main Entrance for the past 4-5 years and have never experienced these 3 mile runway horrors. But it would seem to me that some sort of shuttle service would be beneficial to those folks who are parked at the end of the line. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a red lot shuttle when the Rent first opened? Or am I just imaging that?

 

[huskies14]

The problem is that land does not belong to Rentschler anymore. It is being developed for the new outlets.

 

[cheech63]

I have parked in the first blue lot on the left off of the Main Entrance for the past 4-5 years and have never experienced these 3 mile runway horrors. But it would seem to me that some sort of shuttle service would be beneficial to those folks who are parked at the end of the line. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a red lot shuttle when the Rent first opened? Or am I just imaging that?

I never remember seeing any shuttle service. That would make too much sense.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Was at the far end of Red Lot, according to my GPS watch it was 1 1/4 mile from my car to the stadium. They do run these small shuttle vans; but, the fill quickly and my son did not want to wait, so we humped it. Even if that is where they need to park people, there is no reason why they won't allow people to enter through Willow St. One entrance will make things a mess and that will turn people off.

 

[mrhandyman]

Was at the far end of Red Lot, according to my GPS watch it was 1 1/4 mile from my car to the stadium. They do run these small shuttle vans; but, the fill quickly and my son did not want to wait, so we humped it. Even if that is where they need to park people, there is no reason why they won't allow people to enter through Willow St. One entrance will make things a mess and that will turn people off.

I couldn't enter there but I was allowed to exit there. Made no sense. Probably trying to cut down on the number of employees needed.

 

[BoatShow]

They should offer hayrides to the seats for the October games.

 

[whaler11]

Closing down Willow Street as an entrance is idiotic. If you come from the East on RT 2 instead of getting off at 5a and having 30 seconds to the entrance you have to drive to 84 get off at Silver Lane - sit at the lights and meander through the array of cones to get to the lots - waiting like idiots where the people are trying to cross the street.

It's like they actively try and keep people from attending sometimes.

 

[CTBasketball]

And people want to move the stadium on campus? Just imagine the vast distances covered by walking...

 

[FDNY99]

Closing down Willow Street as an entrance is idiotic. If you come from the East on RT 2 instead of getting off at 5a and having 30 seconds to the entrance you have to drive to 84 get off at Silver Lane - sit at the lights and meander through the array of cones to get to the lots - waiting like idiots where the people are trying to cross the street.

It's like they actively try and keep people from attending sometimes.

I come Rt 2 East and get off the exit for East River Dr Ext (Rt 5/15/91) . Take a right at the end of the ramp then go straight up Silver La...you have to cut across the cones, but there is no light to wait at turning into the main entrance. I think the longest it has ever taken me to get into the stadium form there is 10 minutes.

 

[whaler11]

I come Rt 2 East and get off the exit for East River Dr Ext (Rt 5/15/91) Exit then go straight up Silver La...you have to cut across the cones, but there is no light to wait at turning into the main entrance. I think the longest it has ever taken me to get into the stadium form there is 10 minutes.

I think that is how I left yesterday so I'll give that a shot next time.

The last few years have just been so good using the Willow St entrance it's annoying to have it taken away.

 

[FDNY99]

I think that is how I left yesterday so I'll give that a shot next time.

The last few years have just been so good using the Willow St entrance it's annoying to have it taken away.

When you go home...go all the way down till the road ends...You get right on Rt 2 and there is never any traffic. The only time it gets to be a pain in the a** going into the stadium is when you make the turn off of Silver La and the light from 84 is green..it can be a bit tough trying to get over.

 

[Colt house75]

If someone at Cabelas had better awareness of the parking problem, business savvy & sense, they'd easily fill the lot at a discount price..... team it up with a Cabelas discount promo and they'd be dropping $$$ to the bottom line as well as from a cash windfall for 6 or 7 days of the year. I dunno... maybe it's just Enterprenurial wit (see a need and try to fill it) vs. big business chain store manager.

 

[Colt house75]

I have parked in the first blue lot on the left off of the Main Entrance for the past 4-5 years and have never experienced these 3 mile runway horrors. But it would seem to me that some sort of shuttle service would be beneficial to those folks who are parked at the end of the line. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't there a red lot shuttle when the Rent first opened? Or am I just imaging that?

Was at the far end of Red Lot, according to my GPS watch it was 1 1/4 mile from my car to the stadium. They do run these small shuttle vans; but, the fill quickly and my son did not want to wait, so we humped it. Even if that is where they need to park people, there is no reason why they won't allow people to enter through Willow St. One entrance will make things a mess and that will turn people off.

Just Four tenths of a mile down Silver Lane, across from Aldi's, east of the P & W club parking is an empty huge parking lot as the stores there have been all but been abandoned. It is free parking. We have been using it for years to meet up and car pool in etc as have many other UCONN fans. Last week, I was late for the tailgate and left my car there and easily walked down the sidewalk to join up with everybody. Burger king bathroom along the way.....

 

[HuskyDogArt]

You mean the old Silver Lane Plaza, my hangout after school (J.M. Fields and Woolworth's snack bar and reading MAD and comics at the drug store).

 

[Showballot]

Then why is the parking lot as far as humanly possible from the stadium? It looks like it's a half mile walk from the car to your seats. I sit up on the club level and could watch people as they were were still walking to the stadium at the beginning of the second quarter.

What's worse is there is no reason to park them that far away. The runway was empty for a quarter of a mile and huge tracks of grass were available where cars could park. What idiot designed this arrangement?

A whole half mile?

 

[CTMike]

Just Four tenths of a mile down Silver Lane, across from Aldi's, east of the P & W club parking is an empty huge parking lot as the stores there have been all but been abandoned. It is free parking. We have been using it for years to meet up and car pool in etc as have many other UCONN fans. Last week, I was late for the tailgate and left my car there and easily walked down the sidewalk to join up with everybody. Burger king bathroom along the way.....

I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom...

 

[SonsOfNutmeg]

And people want to move the stadium on campus? Just imagine the vast distances covered by walking...

The way Storrs is packed in now by buildings and where stuff is, there really would be no way possible to do a stadium on or near campus anymore anyway. That ship has sailed!

 

[Dooley]

I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom...

Beat me to it. Well played.

 

[minidarren]

They should offer hayrides to the seats for the October games.

Hayrides pulled by huskies.

 

[Marty Jackson]

They should offer hayrides to the seats for the October games.

thinking the same thing as I was walking the 1 1/4 miles. except we did it 3 times because half-way to the stadium, realized I left the tickets in the car.

 

[junglehusky]

Late reply but worth noting - it's not really up to the athletic department whether the Willow street entrance is open/closed. After reading this list of affiliations, I'm still not sure if it's the CRDA and/or Spectra Venue Management (Comcast) who makes the decision. Presumably they get input / consultations from UConn, P&W and the town of East Hartford.

 

[Dooley]

Late reply but worth noting - it's not really up to the athletic department whether the Willow street entrance is open/closed. After reading this list of affiliations, I'm still not sure if it's the CRDA and/or Spectra Venue Management (Comcast) who makes the decision. Presumably they get input / consultations from UConn, P&W and the town of East Hartford.

I have to think you are right - the stadium management gets a feel for what kind of crowd to expect so they can make determinations on what kind of staffing they need. I hope the crowds keep improving throughout the year and that Spectra will boost up staffing. Even the number of gates opened for entry reflect the crowd that we got at last year's SMU game...not 30K.