REAL aiming to fix Evraz Place traffic bottlenecks
In light of a survey showing some drivers wait more than 30 minutes to exit Evraz Place, its operator is proposing a series of “quick wins” to streamline traffic flow near Mosaic Stadium and Brandt Centre.
They include premium parking and traffic-light adjustments.
Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) released the survey data on Wednesday. It showed that the majority of respondents were able to find parking within five or 10 minutes. But exit bottlenecks were more of a challenge. Three in 10 said it takes between 20 to 30 minutes to leave the parking lot, while nearly two in 10 said it takes 30 to 40 minutes.
REAL spokeswoman Shalyn Kivela said the delays are an issue at Roughriders and Pats games in particular, but also at other events. There are roughly 3,500 parking spots in the complex.
“It’s almost become the new norm for us that we have all 3,500 vehicles on property for any major event,” she said.
“We’re a busy property.” In response, REAL is working on immediate improvements it hopes will help drivers leave more quickly.
Kivela said there are ongoing talks with the city to adjust the timing of traffic lights on Lewvan Drive, Princess Street and Elphinstone Street to improve traffic flow following events.
She said the idea was already tested during this year’s Memorial Cup and succeeded in reducing wait times. Feedback from the city has been positive, according to Kivela.
Mayor Michael Fougere agreed it’s something the city can do. But he said it would have implications for traffic heading north and south on Lewvan.
“We need to examine it, and we’ll come back with a response,” he said.
Other proposed quick fixes are additional training for parking attendants, moving visiting team buses that currently park at the south side of Brandt Centre and adding premium parking for guests willing to pay.
REAL is also floating some long-term solutions to ease bottlenecks. One idea is adding a left-turn lane from 11th Avenue to Lewvan, heading south. Other proposals are paving parking lots, designating drop-off and pickup areas and exploring more parkand-ride options.
“Awareness and understanding is a first step,” REAL president and CEO Tim Reid said in the Wednesday news release. “We know we have a significant gap between actual and expected exit wait times. While we won’t be able to resolve this situation overnight, we are committed to address it.”
Fougere said he has personally waited about 20 minutes to exit the stadium parking. He would neither confirm nor deny whether he is the kind of person who leaves during the fourth quarter to get out quicker.
“Why would I even begin to answer that question?” he asked, laughing. “I’m there as long as I need to be, how’s that?”