Parking at DM

[Whipsnspurs]

Regarding parking at Del Mar - could it have been any worse on Sat? We sat in the parking lot for - I kid you not - 2 hours trying to get out after Zenyatta day. We figuratively sat with the car engine off for 1 1/2 hours of that! It was utterly ridiculous and I'd like to know WTF they were doing (or not doing!)!! About ruined the day

[Kermit]

That's why I had a motorcycle when I lived there. There's not much they can do about it (seems to me).

[Spillwoodtoo]

we had the same problem - inch by inch out of valet parking. apparently part of the problem was a bull riding competition they had scheduled for the same day on the fair grounds. their gates opened at 6:30!

[MaryS]

Combine the bull-riding event, scheduled by our landlords the fairgrounds, with the largest non-opening-day/non-Pacific Classic Day crowd in Del Mar history and the parking lot situation was probably doomed.

[Bob B]

I blame Zenyatta

[Joel]

I blame Zenyatta

I blame the 22nd Aggy..

[ScrapingThePaint]

I blame the 22nd Aggy..

Traffice control (or LACK of control) was just plain awful!

The guys in the vests who were supposed to be directing traffic were doing everything but. There did not seem to be any coordination between one traffic guy and another. It was incredibly frustrating.

But I have to say that it was BETTER than the traffic fiasco last year when the DMTC decided to couple the Pacific Classic with the Ziggy Marley concert. It took us over two hours to get out that afternoon. TWO HOURS!!

Everyone arriving for Ziggy Marley came late in the race day. Most of them were arriving during or after the last race. As those crowds were coming in, everyone else was trying to get out. It was a disaster.

If DM is really serious about hosting a Breeders' Cup, they absolutely have to put a together a workable parking/shuttle/Coaster/bus plan. If they can't handle 32K+ patrons and a bull riding event at the same time, they will never be able to handle 48K+ people at the BC.

[Dprice1287]

Parked on the training track and was surprised that we got out pretty painlessly post zenyatta. In my uneducated opinion, part of the problem is the whole main lot is essentially draining out 3 lanes......1 south into Del Mar proper and the 2 lanes that head to the freeway. I think it would help if people were educated/forced to head north through solana beach and get to the 5 via Lomas Santa Fe. Always see people slowing to a crawl , stopping traffic so they can cut over the the right two lanes at the last second. It is always a frustrating end to the day having to sit in the lot for an hour.

[Whipsnspurs]

Combine the bull-riding event, scheduled by our landlords the fairgrounds, with the largest non-opening-day/non-Pacific Classic Day crowd in Del Mar history and the parking lot situation was probably doomed.

You had to have known this was going to be a problem! Why wasn't this anticipated and dealt with?

2 hours in a parking lot? insane.

ditto what ScrapeThePaint said.

[Fredo]

I'm assuming if DM gets the BC in the future that the existing parking lot would be paved and another one built.