More fans mean more traffic trouble

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As Darren Libonati observed cars, buses, limos and cabs maneuvering in and out of the Thomas & Mack Center on Thursday, he recalled the Runnin’ Rebels heyday back in the early 1990s.

Bunnies hopped across the vast parking lot, rainbows sprung up over the red and white arena, and butterflies flittered about as spectators smoothly entered and exited the basketball venue.

Not really, but in hindsight it seemed that perfect. Six thousand parking spaces accommodated the bulk of Rebel fans. The tradition of dining on Maryland Parkway and walking to the stadium benched other potential parking problems.

The situation has changed over the years as UNLV has grown up and offices and dormitories have devoured half of those parking slots adjacent to the 18,500-seat arena.

As the Rebels ascend in the college basketball rankings, Thomas & Mack officials sense what’s coming: larger crowds and consequently parking woes and traffic jams.

But before we complain about the hassles that derive from Bellfield and Co.’s success, it’s important to emphasize we are lucky. Yes, lucky. Not lucky in the sense that Tre’Von Willis has saved UNLV’s butts in a couple key games, but lucky that we have on-site parking at all.

Visit other college stadiums and you’ll find you are tucked away on campus, leaving spectators no choice but to trudge through neighborhoods to get to games.

But this is Las Vegas and sometimes the availability of parking close to the stadium and walking a short distance isn’t enough.

“Our city is so used to pulling up to the front row and valet parking at the hotel or restaurant,” said Libonati, who manages the Thomas & Mack. “We can’t compete against that because we’re landlocked.”

Long waits in bumper-to-bumper traffic are embraced as tightly as the thought of bringing back Rollie Massimino.

So I asked Libonati what he would suggest to fans planning to watch a team that has generated a fresh wave of excitement in this town.

Predictably, the first words out of his mouth were advising us to arrive early. That doesn’t always happen as fans want to down one more beer or perhaps are leaving work at the last minute, but fans need to work to change their mind-set.

There are some other tips that might help.

The first one is obvious: Try to carpool.

The Regional Transportation Commission doesn’t offer a direct route to the Thomas & Mack Center, but fans can make use of its South Strip Transfer Station at Gilespie Street and Sunset Road. This would be an ideal place to meet pregame and hop into a single vehicle.

Swenson Street and eastbound Tropicana are a zoo, so fans coming from the Henderson area might consider taking Eastern Avenue to westbound Tropicana and entering the campus on Wilbur Street. From the northwest, try Flamingo Road to Paradise and aim for electronic signs pointing to two auxiliary lots.

Check out the parking garage at Cottage Grove Avenue and Maryland Parkway. The garage — next to Artemus Ham Hall — might seem far from the arena, but it’s only about a five-minute walk through campus. Post-game, it’s much easier to escape the crowd by taking Maryland than it is to use Tropicana.

All this depends on whether the game is on a school night. On those evenings, students take up much of the parking and campus police won’t allow fans to enter parking garages until they feel no more students will arrive, which can sometimes be shortly before 7 p.m.

“When we have big events and it’s all locals, the problem is you have people coming from all over town,” Libonati said. “There are extra cars, because you went to work, and I went to work, and now we’re going to meet here.”

On Thursday, the smooth traffic Libonati witnessed was at the sold-out National Finals Rodeo. Over the years, organizer Las Vegas Events has nailed the traffic issue.

Cabs flow in and out of the main entrance, limos and shuttles use a separate route from the public, and 56 buses scoop up spectators at various hotels and ferry them in.

The rodeo is a different beast. Most fans are from out of town. After rodeo events, around 1,200 cabbies make themselves available, whereas about a dozen are hanging around after Rebel games.

It takes about 45 minutes to clear the lot after a rodeo; about an hour and a half after a basketball game.

As the university continues to grow, traffic woes will only increase. Even if the university might not have the funding to charter private shuttles, perhaps we can borrow a strategy from the rodeo. What if the university and a local casino, such as Station Casinos, could form a partnership? Fans could board an arena-bound, casino-sponsored shuttle at one of the many Station properties throughout the valley.

Fans might dine at the casino before the game or have a few drinks afterward, increasing business. The university would benefit from the less congested roadways and parking lots.

The casino wins. The university wins. And hopefully the Rebels win.

Now that would be smooth.

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