Officials address fans' traffic concerns at SunTrust Park

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Opening day for SunTrust Park in Cobb County is exactly one month away. Tuesday morning, callers asked questions about game-day traffic and parking on WSB Radio with Mark Arum.

The anticipation and apprehension for the Braves opening day at SunTrust Park is building.

A team of officials Tuesday morning prepared to help listeners navigate around Atlanta’s newest attraction with minimal disruption.

Parking lots are under construction and this stadium has more spaces available than Turner Field did, theoretically making parking at SunTrust easier.

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“We’re right at 14,000 parking spaces at SunTrust Park,” said Larry Bowman, vice president of stadium operations and security. Bowman also took into account the shift toward ride-sharing services.

“Instead of being matched with a specific driver you’re going to be given a pin code and we line up the Uber cars and you get in the first Uber car,” said Rob Ross, vice president of Kimley-Horn, the planning and engineering firm with which the team worked. He described the concept as much like a taxi line at the airport.

One truck driver called in and cited a report that stated the I-75/I-285 interchange on the northwest side of Atlanta is ranked ninth out of the 100 worst in the country. His question, “How are you not going to create even worse traffic at that interchange?"

Ross answered the question with another question: “Where in Atlanta can we go without congestion, some congestion in rush hour?"

Perhaps the best bit of advice was given by Triple Team Traffic member Doug Turnbull, who said that if your employer allows you to telecommute or work from home on marquee game days, you absolutely should.

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