Good and Bad News on Stadium Parking

It’s good news and bad news for Chargers fans that the Stadium Authority board has approved “adjusted rates” for parking at football games this fall.

The good news is that preferred parking fees will be reduced from $6 to $5. The bad news is that the less-convenient outer ring parking slots are going to cost $5, up from the current $3, under the new proposal. Reserved seats for the games ranged from $18 to $25 last season.

If the flat $5-per-car parking charge is approved by the City Council, San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium parking snarls at Chargers games will be smoothed to a well-regulated flow and a first-come, first-served policy will encourage earlier arrivals at Charger games, stadium manager Bill Wilson predicted Thursday.

The change to a single price will also increase city parking revenue by a maximum of $14,000 a game, Wilson said. If the flat fee is set at $4 per car, the city would gain a maximum of only $3,000 per game.

Because of the present two-level parking fees, the close-in preferred parking lot must be blocked off from the larger, cheaper parking area, making it difficult to avoid traffic jams caused when one section fills to capacity and cars cannot be diverted to other unfilled areas, Wilson explained. Under the new proposal, all entrances to the stadium parking lot will provide access to the entire 18,500-space lot.

A flat $5 charge also is expected to speed change-making at the entrance gates, he added. A $5 fee is now charged at the Los Angeles Rams’ Anaheim Stadium, the Denver Broncos’ Mile High Stadium, the Los Angeles Raiders’ Coliseum games and at the San Francisco 49ers’ games at Candlestick Park.

Under the proposal, recreational vehicles would be charged $10, and tail-gate parties that take up more than one parking spot would be restricted to the outer parking area.

Wilson said stadium officials also are trying to find additional events to offset the slumping revenues from Padres baseball games. As the team went in the tank, parking, concession and ticket sales dropped even lower than team batting averages.

One proposal for making up the financial losses caused by Padre losses is the booking of 10 “high-class” flea market sales at the stadium similar to those held at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, Wilson said. Monty Kobey, San Diego’s swap meet king, has been contacted.