Thousands of fans are about to descend on Sahlen Field for baseball games, something that hasn't happened since late summer 2019.
For downtown, the games are the first large-scale events since the pandemic started. They are expected to provide a jolt of economic activity and foot traffic, more than a year after so many employees left their downtown offices to work from home.
"I think when people come down there, there's opportunities – Seneca One tower, there's restaurants on Chippewa Street," said Michael Schmand, executive director of Buffalo Place. "I think it's going to help the downtown economy quite a bit. And things are starting to open up."
The Blue Jays played at Sahlen Field last year, but only in front of cutouts. This year, the Jays have sold about 6,600 tickets for each of its first several games at the park, a capacity that will rise to 7,600 for games starting in mid-June. Those crowds are well below Sahlen Field's capacity but still larger than what downtown has seen for events since the pandemic started. The Buffalo Sabres attracted small numbers of fans to a handful of its games that spectators were allowed to attend last season.
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All of those people will need a way to get to the ballpark, when the Blue Jays begin their slate of Buffalo home games Tuesday. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority says it will be ready for the fans, as will operators of parking lots near the stadium.
The NFTA will be prepared with its buses and Metro Rail trains to get baseball fans to and from the stadium, said Helen Tederous, an NFTA spokeswoman. "For the most part, we feel comfortable with the ridership and the coverage and the service we have now."
The NFTA will keep an eye on passenger traffic, and add buses or trains as necessary, Tederous said. She noted the authority has a lot of experience working with the Buffalo Bisons over the years, managing the flow of fan traffic.
For fans wondering about the safety of using public transit amid the pandemic, keep in mind: The NFTA still requires passengers to wear masks on its buses and trains.
"It makes people feel comfortable, it makes our operators feel more comfortable," she said. The NFTA just put up refreshed signs reminding passengers the mask requirement remains in effect.
Fans who use Metro Rail to get to the games can hop off at the Seneca station, just a short walk from the ballpark. The NFTA has free park-and-ride lots at its LaSalle and University stations. (Riders must pay for a ticket to ride the train from those stations, which are outside the free fare zone.)
Lots of fans will be trying to park near the stadium, too. There was blowback four years ago when some lot operators charged $30 or $50 at times to park near KeyBank Center, when the NCAA basketball tournament was in town. But indications are there will be lots of low-cost options to park for the Jays games.
The city can't regulate prices for lots that are privately owned, said Michael DeGeorge, a city spokesman. "The only thing we require is that they have signage identifying the prices."
However, Buffalo Civic Auto Ramps said it will charge prices ranging from $4 to $10 to park at the Adam ramp at 343 Washington St., just a couple of blocks north of the ballpark, and at the ramp beneath Seneca One tower, across the street from the stadium. Those two ramps combined have about 2,100 spaces.
And fans can park for free at meters after 5 p.m., meaning they could find a spot in the Theatre District and ride Metro Rail for free to the stadium.
Allpro Parking operates a number of lots near Sahlen Field, including the parking garage on Washington Street, which is about a Vlad Guerrero Jr. home run from home plate. That ramp plans to charge a $10 event rate for the Tuesday ballgame, said Richard Serra, Allpro's president and CEO.
"All patrons will be required to park their vehicle in the garage and then be expected to exit immediately," he said. "Pedestrians will not be allowed to loiter or trespass within the garage in hopes to view the stadium."
At other nearby lots, Allpro plans to charge rates of $8 to $20 for Tuesday's game. The $20 lot is at the corner of Swan and Washington, across from the stadium. (Allpro notes its rates are subject to change without notice, and that parking depends on availability of spaces.) Some of its lots are served by meters or parking apps, while a few of the lots will have parking attendants.
The LECOM Harborcenter parking ramp, a couple of blocks south of the stadium, will charge $10 for parking. If there is significant demand, the ramp at KeyBank Center will be opened as well, said Don Heins, a spokesman for Pegula Sports and Entertainment.
Schmand, of Buffalo Place, is eager to see more people downtown. "I think that anybody that comes down there is going to see a Major League team in a major league city, as far as I'm concerned," he said. "There's so many things to do, and I think it will do nothing but help the downtown economy."
Matt Glynn
