Make your own Super Bowl game plan
It’s best to plan ahead if you’re going downtown or near NRG Park during the weekend of the big game.
Coaches for the Patriots and Falcons are furiously planning how they’ll swoop into Houston and walk away with the NFL championship. Travelers — both out-of-towners and those visiting downtown Houston and NRG Park – should take a page from that playbook and prepare. Here are some things to consider so the trip isn’t slowed down or intercepted by interruptions.
HAVE A GAME PLAN
Heading into downtown blind is a mistake, organizers said. Streets around Discovery Green will be closed, and others will be strained with all the activity. The best course of action is to plan a route based on which freeway or street you’ll use to get downtown, then head directly to where you can park.
CLOSING SPEED
Starting Thursday, a number of downtown streets along the perimeter of Discovery Green will close for the Super Bowl events in the area. Polk and Dallas both will close from Austin to LaBranch, along with LaBranch from Walker to Bell. Along the edge of the park, Avenida De Las Americas, McKinney and Lamar will close.
AHEAD OF THE GAME
Reserving parking is the best way to assure a smooth trip into downtown, since it means you can head straight to the lot of your choice, organizers said. Reserving a space comes with a fee, but it’s about what you’ll spend endlessly circling the block in used fuel.
PARK AND RIDE
Parking around Discovery Green is segmented, with prices highest close to the action and lower farther away. Costs range from $30 to $5, with most lots charging $20. Free shuttles will ferry people from many of the lots right to Discovery Green.
UBER CLOSE
The designated pickup and dropoff spot for Uber is at Crawford and Rusk at the welcome center for the downtown festivities, putting passengers steps away. Taxis also will have close access to the area and the litany of cab stands throughout downtown.
FREE RIDES
B-Cycle, Houston’s bike sharing system, has about two dozen kiosks a quick ride from Discovery Green, and for the 10 days leading into the Super Bowl, rides are free. Anyone can use a credit card and email address or cell number to check out a bike, and the $5 daypass fee is waived. The bike can be used for 60 minutes. After that, the normal $2 per half-hour rates apply. There’s no limit on the number of times someone can check out a bike, though, meaning they can return the bike to any kiosks and grab another bike immediately as needed.
VALET SERVICE
BikeHouston will operate a bike valet service during Super Bowl Live along Caroline between Clay and Dallas, allowing people to ride downtown via streets or even the bayou trail system and then leave their bike in a safe spot.
GO FOR TWO (HOURS)
Metro light rail trains will run extended hours during the downtown events, including two hours after concerts and other activities conclude and likely longer on weekdays. Officials said the frequency of trains will be determined by demand but is likely to be every six minutes, or even less to help clear major events.