xil357
07-19-2002, 10:31 AM
...and we've lost two in a row the Kansas Freaking City, we can turn our attention to Paul Sullivan's favorite topic...attendance at the ballmall!
What do you WSI-ers who live in the south and southwest suburbs of Chicago think if Metra built a train station along the Rock Island tracks at 35th Street and the Dan Ryan right next to the IIT campus?
Do you think that more people would come to Sox games if they knew they didn't have to pay to park?
Wouldn't 20-something guys like knowing that they could get as liquored up as they wanted at the game and wouldn't have to worry about driving home?
That Loop workers could take the train home from work downtown, stop off and catch a night game at Comiskey, and then continue home after the game was over?
That families could hop on the train in Blue Island, Midlothian, or Oak Forest, or Tinley Park, or Mokena, or New Lenox, or Joliet, and ride for 45 minutes or so up to Comiskey, avoiding Dan Ryan traffic, and then take it safely home after the game?
I know that the neighborhood is safe -- safer than Wrigleyville -- but paying to park is such a hassle that when I lived in Chicago it (on top of the commute and the price of tickets) was enough of a deterrent to keep even this die-hard Sox fan from attending too many games.
The inbound afternoon "White Sox Express" could leave Joliet at 5:30 p.m. and pull into the 35th Street Station at about 6:30 for 7:05 games, with stops in the towns listed above. (Earlier evening and afternoon games could have their trains scheduled accordingly). Weekend trains could depart Joliet at 90 and 75 minutes prior to each scheduled first pitch. Outbound afternoon trains could make one more stop at 35th Street on their way south from LaSalle Street station. Trains could leave at 20 and 30 minutes after the final out of each game. Consider also that the peak use of trains would not conflict with existing use of the Rock Island line along established commuter patterns (inbound traffic in the morning, outbound in the afternoon) because all new traffic would be inbound in the afternoons, outbound late at night, and on the weekends.
Also, consider the side benefits to this for the surrounding neighborhood. With more fans and better access to the stadium, more development in the form of restaurants and retail shops are sure to follow. This in turn will bring more fans in as dining and shopping opportunities will be expanded beyond the stadium itself.
Success breeds success. This will translate into more fans attending games.
In the meantime and to kick-start the whole process, what about combining this new rail stop with $1 or $2 upper deck tickets for all weekday home games, and making the whole upper deck general admission?
Would this bring out more fans -- especially the Sox fans in the south and southwest suburbs? Sure the Sox wouldn't make anything on the ticket sales but it would bring in tons more concession and souvenir revenues, right?
Comiskey is known as being family-friendly. How about going the extra mile and making sure that families can afford to attend more games?
Jerry, how about using your pull with the politicians to pressure the RTA/Metra to get this done?
Would the increased attendance and revenues these measures would bring allow you to increase the payroll?
What do you WSI-ers who live in the south and southwest suburbs of Chicago think if Metra built a train station along the Rock Island tracks at 35th Street and the Dan Ryan right next to the IIT campus?
Do you think that more people would come to Sox games if they knew they didn't have to pay to park?
Wouldn't 20-something guys like knowing that they could get as liquored up as they wanted at the game and wouldn't have to worry about driving home?
That Loop workers could take the train home from work downtown, stop off and catch a night game at Comiskey, and then continue home after the game was over?
That families could hop on the train in Blue Island, Midlothian, or Oak Forest, or Tinley Park, or Mokena, or New Lenox, or Joliet, and ride for 45 minutes or so up to Comiskey, avoiding Dan Ryan traffic, and then take it safely home after the game?
I know that the neighborhood is safe -- safer than Wrigleyville -- but paying to park is such a hassle that when I lived in Chicago it (on top of the commute and the price of tickets) was enough of a deterrent to keep even this die-hard Sox fan from attending too many games.
The inbound afternoon "White Sox Express" could leave Joliet at 5:30 p.m. and pull into the 35th Street Station at about 6:30 for 7:05 games, with stops in the towns listed above. (Earlier evening and afternoon games could have their trains scheduled accordingly). Weekend trains could depart Joliet at 90 and 75 minutes prior to each scheduled first pitch. Outbound afternoon trains could make one more stop at 35th Street on their way south from LaSalle Street station. Trains could leave at 20 and 30 minutes after the final out of each game. Consider also that the peak use of trains would not conflict with existing use of the Rock Island line along established commuter patterns (inbound traffic in the morning, outbound in the afternoon) because all new traffic would be inbound in the afternoons, outbound late at night, and on the weekends.
Also, consider the side benefits to this for the surrounding neighborhood. With more fans and better access to the stadium, more development in the form of restaurants and retail shops are sure to follow. This in turn will bring more fans in as dining and shopping opportunities will be expanded beyond the stadium itself.
Success breeds success. This will translate into more fans attending games.
In the meantime and to kick-start the whole process, what about combining this new rail stop with $1 or $2 upper deck tickets for all weekday home games, and making the whole upper deck general admission?
Would this bring out more fans -- especially the Sox fans in the south and southwest suburbs? Sure the Sox wouldn't make anything on the ticket sales but it would bring in tons more concession and souvenir revenues, right?
Comiskey is known as being family-friendly. How about going the extra mile and making sure that families can afford to attend more games?
Jerry, how about using your pull with the politicians to pressure the RTA/Metra to get this done?
Would the increased attendance and revenues these measures would bring allow you to increase the payroll?