Polar Park lacks transit options

Submitted by GlobeOpinion t3_124xx0p in WorcesterMA

Worcester built it, and they came.

The problem is, to get to the city’s sparkling new Minor League baseball stadium, many of them drove. Polar Park, where the Red Sox Triple-A affiliate will hold its home opener Friday, lacks much by way of transit options.

It’s theoretically possible for fans to take a bus to the stadium (though not necessarily to take one home, if the game goes late). The team also does offer shuttles from parking areas.

But in general, parking and transit in the city’s growing Canal District, which is anchored by Polar Park, both leave something to be desired.

Opening Day is this week — both for Major League teams like the Red Sox, whose season starts Thursday, and for many Minor League clubs. So to celebrate, this week’s newsletter focuses on how, exactly, one can be taken out to the ballgame — and, unless you’re the type of fan who doesn’t care if you never get back, how to get home again.

Worcester’s experience — the team has been very popular, drawing thousands of new visitors to the city — underscores the kind of challenges cities across the country confront.

As one local restaurant owner put it to a Springfield Republican reporter last year, “There were no parking solutions to a 10,000-person stadium. I’m not a planner or an engineer, but I still think the parking should’ve been done first.”

New England’s second biggest city is in the midst of a growth spurt, propelled in part by refugees from Boston’s outrageous real estate prices. Part of the reason the city lured the farm team from Pawtucket, R.I., in 2021 was to catalyze economic development in the area. But to sustain that growth without adding to traffic and parking woes, transit options within the city — and commuting links to Boston — need to keep up.

...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/28/opinion/take-me-out-bus-ballgame/

41

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Robespierrexvii t1_je1r6tg wrote

The whole fucking city lacks transit options. Why would the Park be any different?

69

AceOfTheSwords t1_je5i4pp wrote

It would be hilarious if Bostonians annoyed that they can't take transit to/from their WooSox games were what finally got the WRTA sufficient state funding, when we've been screaming about it for years.

7

SteepedInTHC t1_je1j2h3 wrote

I’m about to work there for the summer. The atrocious parking options and the 20 minute walk to get to work blows

19

Massnative t1_je1qkil wrote

You are working in Polar Park for WooSox games? If yes, you should get a pass for the employee lot across the street.

5

SteepedInTHC t1_je24j3w wrote

That’s temporary. Not allowed on game days

8

OrphanKripler t1_je378wk wrote

Where do they expect employees to park then? At the Burger King parking lot? Lmaooo

3

Moist-Rule8457 t1_je562pi wrote

I worked there the last 2 years and they expect workers to park in the garage (employee has to pay themselves) I’m not working again this year cause it’s a huge hassle to drive to Worcester and then deal with the awful parking

3

FIFAFanboy2023 t1_je5dtb2 wrote

Wow, what absolute bullshit. I get that they don't want hundreds of vehicles taking up the parking garage, but this is legit shortsighted. Do they at least offer a discounted rate? I wonder if Umass Memorial employees at the main campus need to pay to park as well.

2

Moist-Rule8457 t1_je5ibiv wrote

Ya we had a code so it was only $5 I think but still it was obnoxious and let alone having to walk like .8 miles after the game in the pitch black in worcester

2

FIFAFanboy2023 t1_je5oaai wrote

What parking did they have you use? I'm guessing the garage on the other side of the tunnel near the old outlet mall.

2

sunshinepills t1_je6siin wrote

Wait til this person hears about the many Boston workers who also have to pay for parking because their employers won't pony up for it.

2

7evenPoint128 t1_je1l19i wrote

The city (certain council members) doesn't care about rent, parking, or traffic. They care about the money being made from developers and taxes. Even when the stadium was finished and opened, the parking garage was still under construction. You'd think an engineering basic like a parking garage would be finished BEFORE the stadium opened.

17

masshole4life t1_je6a8lc wrote

>(certain council members)

why not name them? why treat them like some scary boogeymen whose names are never to be mentioned?

these are people driving local policy. if you believe that "certain members" are stifling progress in lieu of profit, call them out, please.

we should be having a conversation about it, not playing guessing games on reddit.

3

Eve617 t1_je2qzb8 wrote

I vote for making Worcester more walkable, with more public transportation and more bike lanes. If you create more parking that means more cars. People in cars have only one destination in mind. They come in and they go out . People who walk notice and stop at multiple places along their route. It's so much better for businesses & people. Every neighborhood in the city needs to consider it's walkability and how it can be improved. The city has so much to offer and it's a shame that people only see it out their car window.

17

legalpretzel t1_je23d05 wrote

As a former resident of Boston, I miss the excitement of taking the D line to Fenway on game days. I would love to hop on a bus and head to a game instead of driving 3 miles to park there.

10

BatExisting325 t1_je1n8e2 wrote

All Worcester city councilors(ALL) only care when it benefits their bank accounts. They only time they’ll do something for the constituents in their area is when it benefits them or affects someone/thing near the property that they own. That’s when they’ll go to the police or DPW to make something a priority when it really isn’t.(George Russell)…they had no problem trying to get a luxury box at the park on the taxpayers dime.

8

Rosseaux t1_je1nq4s wrote

I think they skirted the parking issue because they wanted to move aggressively to get the team here. Same thing happens with suburban developments that never consider traffic congestion when building McMansion and strip mall developments.

Kelly Square is the icon of 300+ years of short-sighted, slapdash urban planning.

8

Sea_Establishment300 t1_je23tg0 wrote

Been to like 5 woosox games never have I ever had an issue parking.

7

dookie5 t1_je2de0v wrote

I’ve been like 20 times and same. People who haven’t even gone bitch about parking 😂

0

becomingelle t1_je2abvw wrote

I take the bus downtown and walk from the hub. Pretty convenient for public transit in Worcester, or for any small city with limited public transit. Obviously I can be a lot better but we'll never get much more.

7

Eve617 t1_je2qd8g wrote

Worcester is the second largest city in New England. It is not a small city.

7

becomingelle t1_je5grq0 wrote

I know how big Worcester is, probably more than most. I don't think it's big enough to be considered a big city.

2

Apprehensive-Mode-45 t1_je2zt1c wrote

It is so ridiculous to me to that the city won’t do WHATEVER IT TAKES to improve the WRTA. Granted, the powers that be at the WRTA also have to do the work to get what they need to improve (hint hint: get more federal & state funding. Baker vetoed a bill that would increase RTA funding BTW)

The WRTA ain’t perfect, but if it ran more frequently and late into the evening that would be transformative for this city.

We would 100% take the bus to polar park (for us it would be a 5 minute walk to the bus stop, 5 minute ride, and 8/10 minute walk to the park). The only reason we can’t is it doesn’t run in the evening. So instead, we drive 7 minutes, pay $10 for parking, and still walk that same 8/10 minute route.

It’s so much nicer to experience the Canal District without having to think about parking the car.

7

SmartSherbet t1_je7glet wrote

Less money to the cops. More money to the bus system. Simple and effective.

2

Trinimaninmass t1_je4ep7s wrote

Wait aren’t they building quite a large parking garage across the street???

2

caelen727 t1_je54xgh wrote

Aren’t they building a parking garage right across the street? Infrastructure takes time to build, sadly

2

AceOfTheSwords t1_je5hfnz wrote

I thought that was mostly dedicated to a nearby apartment complex, but I'm not certain.

2

petertheo89 t1_je5q4zj wrote

If I was a bar owner anywhere in the city, I would run a shuttle to and from the game to anyone that buys a drink at my establishment. Not a solution to the problem, but it would be cool if you could go to your neighborhood bar, not in the center of town, and have a free ride. Obviously the more bars that did it, the greater effect it would have.

When I lived in Wisconsin, a ton of bars would do this in Milwaukee county for Brewers games, granted Milwaukee has a pretty big drinking culture. My neighborhood bar was in walking distance, so I would just walk there, grab a drink, and get a ride to and from the game.

2

Karen1968a t1_je5y1oh wrote

The District had a “eat here Park here” policy last year, and they had a shuttle

1

melvintpunymeyer t1_je6edt3 wrote

I'm not saying it's perfect by any means, but I thought this link provided some helpful information regarding different parking and transit options. I live in the city and have been to a number of games. I haven't found parking difficult. Personally, I find the lack of available ridesharing services to be more of a pain. I live too far to walk to the Canal District, but close enough that an Uber or Lyft would be comparable to parking costs. I can never reliably depend on drivers to be available and have found myself stranded at the end of a night so now I just drive and pay to park.

2

sunshinepills t1_je6say0 wrote

Right, and taking the T to a Red Sox game is efficient and swift and happy and wonderful. And for folks who do drive, there is a parking megaplex attached to Fenw--oh. Right. The parking sucks at Fenway too and the T is a literal and figurative dumpster fire.

2

BatExisting325 t1_je1n8dw wrote

All Worcester city councilors(ALL) only care when it benefits their bank accounts. They only time they’ll do something for the constituents in their area is when it benefits them or affects someone/thing near the property that they own. That’s when they’ll go to the police or DPW to make something a priority when it really isn’t.(George Russell)…they had no problem trying to get a luxury box at the park on the taxpayers dime.

1

jpm01609 t1_je2tsbe wrote

if you can 't figure out how to get there, Polar Park is not for you

​

sorrry

​

too bad

−5

masshole4life t1_je69w6j wrote

so if it turns out that almost no one can "figure it out" do we get a refund on the park? or did we pay for the privilege of being snarky and obnoxious?

1