6-hour traffic nightmare for fans going to Oakland A's Game and Monster Jam
Oakland Coliseum traffic nightmare
It was a traffic nightmare this weekend in and around the Oakland Coliseum for the As game and Monster Jam at the arena. The separate events had overlapping start times and were both largely attended. Some fans spent up to six hours trying to get in and others who were so frustrated, missed the event entirely.
OAKLAND, Calif. - It was a traffic nightmare this weekend in Oakland. The A's game at the Coliseum and Monster Jam at the Arena had overlapping start times. And with huge attendance at both, some fans spent up to 6 hours trying to get in. Some frustrated fans missed the events entirely.
"What should have been an hour and a half drive ended up being into a six-hour debacle in traffic," says Carrie Lowery, an A's fan who lives near Modesto.
It took six hours to approach the Oakland Coliseum and Arena, much of it spent just trying to exit the highway.
"Hours and hours go by, and we are still sitting in traffic, still sitting in that off-ramp lane trying to get to the parking," she says.
Fans flooded social media with complaints: no one was directing traffic, some gates were closed, and many never made it to the A's game at all.
By the time Carrie Lowery got to the lot she prepaid to park in, it was full.
"We missed the game. We missed everything. And those tickets were not cheap. We prepaid for parking. And to get there and not even have a parking place available... again it just came down to bad planning," says Lowery.
We reached out to the A's, the Oakland Arena, and the Coliseum Authority.
Officials say they knew the dueling events would be an issue and tried to warn fans through social media posts. They say no refunds are being offered.
"My sister-in-law was watching actually on TV and she goes, 'There's nobody in the stadium.' I said because we're all out here in traffic!" says Lowery.
Lowery is now out $600 for tickets and parking, but it's hard to put a price on her frustration.
"I've never seen anything like it. Ever ever ever," she says.
The A's did open their gates early, hoping to alleviate some of the traffic. Fans say the adjustments they made and the warning they gave just wasn't enough.
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