Adjustments made ahead of Rogers Stadium's new concert season
· Toronto Sun
Live Nation Canada says it’s worked on the issues surrounding the first season of Rogers Stadium as the North York venue’s second season launch approaches on Saturday with Bruno Mars’ first of five shows.
Like last year, Live Nation Canada is offering fans a free ride home from the TTC’s Downsview Park, Sheppard West and Wilson stations on the Line 1 Yonge-University subway after concerts to encourage attendees to use transit to get to and from the 50,000-seat venue.
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Fans can show their concert ticket to TTC staff to access their complimentary trip.
“We’ve done what we can to make getting to and from the venue easier this year,” said Nathalie Burri, senior Vice President of operations for Live Nation Canada.
The TTC will also be adding extra subway service on Lines 1, 2, 5 and 6, about a half-hour before the shows end at 11 p.m, plus extra buses and extra staff to help concertgoers find their way home.
There are 20 shows this year – up from 14 – and the concert season will end with AC/DC on Sept. 16.
“When you think about 50,000 people leaving the stadium, our estimates are anywhere around 50% will be taking transit at least for a portion of their trip if not the entire trip,” said TTC spokesman Stuart Green.
Metrolinx’s media spokesperson Lyndsey Miller said there will be no GO Transit services to the Mars concerts on Saturday, Sunday, and May 30 “due to planned construction on the Barrie line,” and GO buses will run instead between Allandale Waterfront GO and Highway 407 Bus Terminal.
There will also be continuous free shuttle service from Wilson station, with priority given to those with accessibility needs, and a new pedestrian pathway to get concertgoers to and from Sheppard West faster.
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“This new path will provide an alternative path to Downsview Park which was utilized by the majority of our fans last season and saw a bit of congestion,” said Burri. “It now gives us three access points (including Wilson) onto the site on foot.”
Also new this year, said Burri, is more free water stations, bathrooms, and charging stations, better lighting and signage, more shelter for shade, including the new fan space, Terminal 81, and new food and beverage options, all of which can be accessed through the new Rogers Stadium venue app.
New parking spots added
Live Nation Canada said it has also added 1,000 standard parking spots on and adjacent to the site, which must be purchased in advance as does the limited number of accessible parking spots.
“We do have a lot of land on the site, however access on and off the site as well just general traffic in the neighbourhood continues to be a challenge,” said Burri when asked why the company didn’t have more parking given the large site.
“We are going to open this weekend and test out with the amount of parking spots that we’ve created to see how traffic flow goes and generally what the impact is on the surrounding community when we add more cars on the road which ultimately is what we’re trying to avoid.”
Green also pointed out there are about 11,000 parking spots between all the locations serving Line 1 including Sheppard West Station, Pioneer Village Station, Finch West Station, Highway 407 Station, and at York University.
“You do have the ability to drive sort of close to the stadium and get on transit and that’s really what we’re encouraging people to do this year,” said Green.
Unlike last year, Beffort Rd. will be closed to public vehicle and pedestrian traffic on show days, so ride share pick ups and drop off points have changed to 81 YZD Lane at the north end of the stadium (about 400 metres to the gates) and 590 Wilson Ave. at the south end of the stadium (about 900 metres to the gates).
Burri said Live Nation Canada also continues to monitor sound with municipal bylaw officers on site for every show, and that vinyl cladding has been added to the back of the grandstands to replace fabric ones for better soundproofing.
As for York Centre-Downsview City Councillor James Pasternak’s suggestion of building a hard noise barrier of soil and rocks around the venue, Burri said they’re working with him on sound options “that require more investigation.”
Venue also makes lighting adjustments
Burri said, after residents complained about lighting around the new pedestrian pathway and the stadium’s interior, Live Nation Canada will adjust those levels while at the same time will no longer hav dark zones on site.
She added fans leaving the shows can expect safety queuing to return from last year which is a short crowd pause to ensure smooth and safe entrances to subway stations and prevent overcrowding.
Rain and cooler temperatures are predicted for Saturday and Sunday nights, so concertgoers are advised to bring warm, waterproofed clothes and small collapsible umbrellas with rain ponchos available on site for purchase.