In 1984 the University of Washington sought approval of the city of Seattle to increase the seating capacity of its 58,500-seat stadium to a total of 72,200 seats. Given the severe traffic and parking problems already associated with the existing stadium, the city required the university to develop a workable parking plan and transportation management program that would mitigate the impacts of the additional seating capacity. This paper presents the major elements of the Husky stadium expansion parking plan and transportation management program and discusses its implementation during the 1987 football season. The major components of the program include incentives to use public transit through the issuance of free transit scrip good for use on all transit routes serving the stadium area; the creation of a park-and-ride system that provides direct service from outlying areas of the city and county to the stadium; a slight increase in on-campus parking supply and the leasing of off-campus parking spaces with free shuttle bus service to the stadium; implementation of a special-event restricted parking zone in residential neighbourhoods near the stadium; and a marketing program to promote increased use of nonautomobile modes. The implementation of the stadium transportation program in 1987 was a great success, far exceeding expectations. Much of that success can be attributed to the free transit scrip program and park-and-ride system.
Abstract