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New Mets Stadium

Posted by Glenn on April 6, 2006 - 4:48pm in The Oil Drum: Local

The photos of the new Mets Stadium are up on the NY Mets website. I have to say that in contrast to the Yankee stadium deal, there are few controversial issues like stealing a public park or adding new parking garages. Instead, they are building it on the adjacent parking lot, which will occupy a significant number of parking spots during the construction phase. While the designs pictured here seem to have a much larger footprint for the stadium and plaza than the current Shea Stadium, but according to the "fast facts" on the Mets website, the number of parking spots will remain the same after construction is completed. Still, until construction is complete, perhaps the city could conduct an experiment to determine how it can most effectively meet the transportation needs of Mets fans through improved mass transit service on game days?

Well, in fact they are going to improve mass transit service...

The City and State have been working with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on both short term and long term options to make additional transit service available for Mets fans and to encourage more fans to take mass transit to games.  There will be additional service on MTA New York City Transit's number 7 subway line, with as many as 14 additional trains available on weeknights and up to 12 additional trains available on weekends and after matinee games.  MTA Long Island Rail Road service has also been expanded on the Port Washington branch line.  The MTA is also working on additional marketing and promotional efforts with the Mets that will encourage the use of public transportation.

So, um, why don't they just do this all the time? Or perhaps they could try the NASCAR plan of linking the ticket to the mode of transportation? And what ever happened to the ferry service that they used to run?

If we can try to solve this in the short term, why not try to solve this for the long term? Perhaps we could find a permanent use for all this extra space? This is a perfect opportunity to permanently become more mass transit friendly. And according the Starts and Fits, that might be a good thing.

It will be interesting to consider what rising energy costs will mean to national sports leagues. Obviously they will continue to have lots of money to spend on travel, but perhaps the minor leagues and college sports will return to the regional flavor that it had back before transcontinental flights became commonplace and most teams got around by bus or train. Perhaps baseball could return to it's old free-wheeling and mostly regional draft system like before 1965.

And from the dimensions, it looks like they are trying to emphasize core NY Met ideals of good pitching, defense and big outfields:

Pitcher Friendly: Pitcher Friendly: Distinctive asymmetrical outfield walls, along with generous dimensions (LF - 335'; LC - 379'; CF - 408'; RC - 391'; RF - 300') make for a traditional pitcher's park.

Sweet. Maybe we can finally get that perfect game or no-hitter we've been waiting 40+ years for...

New Mets Stadium

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1 comments

Stephen Balogh on April 8, 2006 - 8:36am Permalink | Comments top
I loved taking the 7 train to Shea.  It's part of the whole experience.  The LIRR will help reduce car traffic, as the people from Long Island and surrounding Queens areas are the ones that drive there mostly.  No-hitter?  Mets?  I think that you've spend a little too much time inhaling the fumes from the oil drum...  heh heh.

New Mets Stadium

PDF version

1 comments