Park and ride to Rider game at new Mosaic: city

The third and final test event at the new Mosaic Stadium is Saturday and parking remains a big issue on people’s minds.

The city’s answer is similar to what they’ve encouraged for the last test event – last month’s concert featuring Our Lady Peace, Johnny Reid and Bryan Adams. 

If you can, take the bus.

“For the most part, the first event had a lot of people coming in and trying to find parking on the Evraz sites,” Faisal Kalim, the city’s manager of parking services, explained to the CJME Morning Show. “We made sure to promote our transit system.”

Buses to Mosaic will be free before Rider games this season, departing from the city’s malls as well as two downtown locations. 

“If you’re coming from out of town, you’ll most likely pass one of those malls so you can get shuttles from the stadium site,” Kalim said.

There will also be bike valet service on site at the stadium, in an effort to divert as many people as possible from parking. 

Kalim urged those who do have to park to remember the rules. 

“If you are going to (drive to) the game, we are encouraging making sure to park respectfully within the surrounding neighbourhoods,” he said. “We will have parking enforcement out just to make sure our hydrants are clear and our intersections are clear so the surrounding communities are safe.”

For the 2017 season, parking permits will remain in place for neighbourhoods that had them for the old Mosaic Stadium. Kalim said there currently isn’t a plan to put in a stadium zone for the other two neighbourhoods.