OSU’s park and ride system allows fans to avoid the headache of driving around the stadium in search for parking. Fans can now park at a parking garage located at 7th Street and Lewis Avenue near City Hall.
Football fans have a new way to get to the game other than paying to park or hiking to the stadium: OSU and the city have teamed up to provide a park-and-ride game day shuttle to games.
Users can park for free at the corner of Seventh Avenue and Lewis Street, downtown in the parking garage or across from the police and municipal building and ride a bus to the game.
Bus driver Charles Case said riders can’t get a better deal on parking and getting to the game.
“The early birds get covered parking, but everyone gets a free ride, parking and security,” Case said.
Brandon Armstrong, athletic department events coordinator, said the Stillwater Business Improvement District decided to partner with OSU athletics and split the cost of the service.
Armstrong said exact numbers haven’t been put together yet, but said it cost about $600 per game.
About 600 people used the service for the last home game against Missouri State, said transit supervisor Tom Duncan.
The service will be available the rest of the season for all home games.
Robyn and Derrick Davies took advantage of the bus for both games.
The Davies said they used to walk to the games from downtown because Robyn works in the area, and that the service makes getting to the games easier.
They said it reduces congestion on the roads and helps expose the downtown area.
“On game day, it will help people see what’s downtown, especially out-of-towners,” Derrick Davies said.
Because the service is free, it can also save passengers money.
John and Sue Paine used the bus for the first time at the previous game.
“It’s better than paying $10 or $20 to park,” John Paine said.
He said it also saved them extra walking: The Paines discovered that they left their tickets in their car when they arrived at the stadium, and were able to ride the bus back instead of walking.
The bus drops passengers off on Hall of Fame Avenue between the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum and the northwest corner of the stadium.
The first bus starts taking passengers to the stadium three hours before the game, according to the shuttle flier.
Case said the bus is supposed to run every 15 minutes, but he leaves as soon as the bus is full.
“There is usually a crowd waiting every time I pull up and there’s no point in sitting if the bus is full,” he said.
Case drove the pre-game bus for the first two games and said he hopes to continue all season.
He takes a break 30 minutes after kickoff and returns at halftime until the waiting crowds are gone.
Because everyone leaves the game at once, several buses bring riders back to their cars.
Case said he was the only driver scheduled after the game the first week, but his supervisors had to bring in trail buses to help with the demand.
Duncan said he is on standby each week in case more buses are needed, and that numbers for the first and second game were consistent.
“The difference from the first game to the second was less than 100 people,” Duncan said.
The drop-off in the number of passengers may be attributed to the rain, he said.
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I rode the bus this past weekend! I cannot believe the older generation complaining about not having enough space. THEY WERE SITTING IN THE CHAIR!!!! The bus was not at capacity, I know this because I lived in London. I was miserable. None of the passengers were in good spirit, complain, complain, complain.
I hope to catch the earlier bus next time and the late one last.
Over all, I think the program is great, but I think it’s going to get much worse and I think the University should charge everyone one of them. Give them something else to complain about.