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HOV parking nearly halved; premium ticketholders exempted

Those buying premium tickets should expect premium service, right? It stands to reason, but only in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) did Forest City Ratner and the Empire State Development Corporation spell it out--and subtract nearly half of the much-touted high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) parking.

In July, when the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was issued, arena parking was said to be limited to vehicles carrying three or more people, except for an unspecified number of suites.

In November, when the FEIS was issued, that policy had been clarified, with significant effects.

DEIS detail

In Chapter 19, Mitigation, of the DEIS, the ESDC stated:
HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) PARKING
To encourage higher occupancy in auto travel to and from the arena and to discourage single and two-person auto trips, arena parking on the project site would have a three or more person requirement after 5 PM on game days. Again, this would be advertised for fans purchasing tickets on-line. The objective is to encourage increased vehicle occupancy by using a location incentive. This restriction would not apply to arena suites.

(Emphasis added)

Still, the ESDC acknowledged:
Between the draft and final EIS, the effectiveness of these traffic demand management strategies, including remote parking, HOV parking, transit incentive, cross marketing, and bicycle parking programs, will be further refined in consultation with the appropriate agencies, including NYCT and DOT.

FEIS revisions

Apparently the refinement included the recognition that, oh, some people paying premium prices might not get a three-person group.

In Chapter 19, Mitigation, of the FEIS, the ESDC stated:
HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) PARKING
To encourage higher occupancy in auto travel to and from the arena and to discourage single and two-person auto trips, approximately 600 of the 1,100 parking spaces available on-site for use by fans at a Nets basketball game would have a three or more person requirement after 5 PM on game days. This would be advertised for fans purchasing tickets on-line. The objective is to encourage increased vehicle occupancy by using a location incentive. The remaining 500 spaces would be dedicated to suites and premium seating and would not be subject to the HOV parking requirements.

(Emphasis added)

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