AUSTIN, Texas β UPDATE AS OF 12:33AM ON JUNE 17:
Traffic at Q2 Stadium was challenging going in and out of the venue before and after the game, but moved relatively quickly. With only 850 spots, most of the cars cleared out within an hour.
However, some visitors responded on Twitter saying Pavemint, an app allowing people to reserve parking off-site for a price, fell short.
Other visitors who used public transit reported good experiences overall. CapMetro provided bus lines and extended hours for fans, including buses lining up on the west side of the stadium ready to shuttle people away as needed.
Austin FC and the City have been encouraging people to take public transit because of the lack of parking spaces.
Much of the traffic after the match seemed to be pedestrian as people walked back to their cars parked off-site: other businesses, street parking, etc. This put the new traffic lights installed by the City to the test.
Austin will use Wednesday's match as a dry-run for Austin FC's home opener on Saturday, with plans to make any necessary changes to traffic patterns to work as efficiently as possible.
As Q2 Stadium gets set to open its doors for the U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) Wednesday followed by the home opener for Austin FC this weekend, fans will have limited parking options around the stadium.
The City of Austin installed new signage for street parking in some areas near Q2 Stadium. Many businesses will not allow stadium parking and threaten to tow unauthorized vehicles at the owners' expense. Q2 Stadium/Austin FC has partnered with Pavemint to help people find parking offsite for a price.
Mark Harris, who opened Turnstile Coffee, Beer and Cocktails about a block or two away from Q2 in March 2020, said fans going to games won't be able to use his parking spaces on event days.
RELATED:
"We want to have parking available for our patrons and customers that are coming to the bar or coming to eat at the restaurant that are either potentially not going to the game or want to come watch the game," Harris said.
Harris sees Q2 Stadium and Austin FC as an opportunity for a boom in business, especially after the tumultuous year Turnstile has had.
"Our original opening was March of 2020," Harris said. "We opened again in May and then we opened again in September. ... We're huge supporters of Austin FC and we want people to come hang out for viewing parties when they're on the road."
For the USWNT match on Wednesday, all the lots listed on Pavemint from which people would be able to walk to the stadium are full. One of those lots is the Travis County Precinct 2 Constable property. Travis County Commissioners decided Tuesday to allow Austin FC fans to pay to park among 199 spots available at the building's parking lot.
The lot will be maintained on match days by Public Safety Cadet Unit 711, a nonprofit in Texas where volunteers can learn about getting into public safety work. Public Safety Cadet Unit 711 has not announced how much parking at the lot would cost, but the County will receive half of the money made from patrons. The other half will go to the nonprofit.
Q2 Stadium has just under 850 spots for parking, all of which are already reserved. The stadium can hold more than 20,000 people.
The City said neighborhood street parking is not illegal, so crews will not tow people who are legally parked on the streets. However, the City encourages non-residents to be good neighbors and not park on nearby neighborhood streets.
City staff, including public safety agencies like the Austin Police Department and Austin Transportation, will be on-site during the events monitoring traffic impacts around the stadium and making real-time changes as needed.
Austin FC is encouraging people to take public transit or bikes to limit traffic and parking congestion around the stadium.
Capital Metro will have special service to Q2 Stadium on event days, including MetroRail. The following routes will be the most convenient:
- MetroRail to Kramer Station
- MetroRapid 803 (Available post-event on the west side of the stadium for quick access)
- MetroBus Route 3
- MetroBus Route 383
- MetroBus Route 392
- MetroAccess
For more information and up-to-date details visit www.capmetro.org/austinfc.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: