US Open Overflow Parking Steals Queens Park Playing Fields

The Parks Department has been letting a concessionaire charge drivers $18 per car to park on grassy playing fields in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, and some people in Queens are mad. Well, one person, at least; a park advocate named Greg Godfrey. He's outraged that the parkland is being gobbled up by cars on days when the U.S. Open overlaps with Mets games, which will happen for the last time tonight when the Mets play the Marlins at Citifield, adjacent to the tennis center. So taxpayers who use the park for cricket and soccer have been relegated to dusty fields, and Godfrey gripes to the Daily News, "When you constantly compress open space and green space, you're reducing the oxygen in the fields and that's where you're losing grass growth." Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski calmly responds that, "You need to give and take, and we all make room for each other," and promises that the USTA reseeds the parking areas. But Godfrey won't be satisfied until somebody builds a multi-level parking deck for sports fans, which Lewandowski acknowledges as a nice idea, it's just that paying for it is "a stumbling block."

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By John Del Signore in News on September 10, 2009 11:11 AM

Comments [rss]

jobyjacob

Umm, how about the parks department keep the parks for the people and not cars. The police should ticket those who park where they are not supposed to. If you cant find parking take the train.

pigeon

There is a really thorough renovation/overhaul of Flushing Meadows Corona Park planned that is going to make the park way more usable and accessible (and also handle problems like overflow parking from nearby events). I know it will happen slowly and in phases, etc. but it's about time they got to it.

gothamguy

Who gets the money from this? The city hires the concessionaire, but who keeps the profit?

hotstepper

uh, no one noticed that the Met's parking lot nearly doubled in size since they built the new stadium? why can't they park there? there are plenty of spots even during a game.

JanetG

They should charge $100. Drivers would figure out that the subway and LIRR stop right there (and that, even if you have to drive, getting on the 7 train and going to the car which you parked a few stops away is quicker than dealing with the traffic at the end of the games, even if they stay for the 9th inning.)

Steven

Same way with the Yankees game and Metro-North. People think they have some sort of entitlement or something when it comes to driving. If good public transportation is available you take it otherwise drive.

Though people from NJ, Hudson Valley probably drive to Mets games since it's much easier. If you live in NYC besides Staten Island or Long Island take the train to the game.