The Hurricanes will hold a parking summit at the RBC Center on Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m., and RBC Center general manager Dave Olsen said today that any fans who have participated in the discussion here -- and those who haven't, for that matter -- are welcome to attend.
"We're not sitting on our hands," Olsen said. "We're addressing it. We did a survey, we collected the information and we invited the people who responded to the summit."
Olsen said 2,000 season-ticket holders responded to the team's survey.
UPDATE, 1:44 p.m.: Here's the email that went out to season-ticket holders who responded to the team's survey this afternoon:
PARKING TOWN HALL MEETING
August 20, 2008
6:30 p.m. RBC Center (Enter at VIP)Dear Season Ticket Holder,
Thank you so much for your participation in our recent Parking and Traffic Analysis Survey. It goes without saying that your responses were very helpful in our endeavor to understand the various dynamics we face during events.
Town Hall Meeting
The survey was the first step in the process. To help us with the next phase in this process, we invite you to come out and attend a Town Hall meeting, where you will have an opportunity to share your thoughts further with us to help define areas of concern.
It goes on to ask attendees to RSVP. While that invitation was sent to season-ticket holders, it has since been extended to readers of this blog, so it's only polite to RSVP here if you want to go.
Luke has worked for The N&O since 2000. He covered the Carolina Hurricanes and the NHL before becoming a sports columnist in August 2008. A native of Evanston, Ill., he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. He can be reached at (919) 829-8947, @LukeDeCock on Twitter or
Comments
It was great to return from
Wed, 07/23/2008 - 10:23 — wjcampIt was great to return from vacation and find the email inviting me to the parking summit, which I have RSVP'ed to. I also spoke with Kyle Prairie briefly at the Select a Seat event on Monday about the parking situation. We both agreed that the biggest problems are for those of us that approach the arena from the west and use Edwards Mill Road. Based on many of the comments on last week's parking thread, a lot of folks entering on the east aren't seeing as many issues and delays. I talked about how frustrating it was to see RPD sitting at the intersections with the Edwards Mill entrance closed off and no one directing traffic or controlling the traffic signals at the control box. Kyle said that this was a problem, and that they were actually paying to have the RPD work (or not) traffic control. I'm sure all of this and more will be discussed next month when we get together.
I'm also glad to see that the Canes are going to create some sort of council from their STH to stay in touch with their customers and their concerns. Based on my business experience sitting on advisory boards and councils, we can expect a higher level of customer service and a better chance of nipping problems like this parking mess in the bud. Assuming, of course, that they are sincere in improving their product both on and off the ice. I guess only time will tell, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt at this point.
I hope to meet some of you folks next month at the summit.
Yep, mini-plan holders got
Sat, 07/19/2008 - 10:37 — Anonymous (not verified)Yep, mini-plan holders got the survey ... I am 26 game TH & filled out survey (not very complimentary I might add) ... now I am a little disgruntled that I did not receive the invite to the forum ... perhaps they have my e-mail circling the RBC looking for a parking space
What I want to know for the
Sat, 07/19/2008 - 07:48 — Anonymous (not verified)What I want to know for the Aug 20 6:30 meeting is how many hours I need to get there early to arrive in the building by 6:30?
Parking
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 15:15 — kcljar (not verified)Yes, mini plan holders got the survey too. I'm a 26 game STH and got the survey via email.
Parking Summit
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 14:30 — figaroParking cost to attend the Summit will be $7. Sorry - I couldn't resist...
Of course we're welcome....
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 12:53 — acidqueen...welcome to get blown off, of course--just like every other time fans have complained about the parking situation (and the ineptitude of GFH regarding same).
Wow... way to be optomistic.
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 14:15 — Mary (not verified)Wow... way to be optomistic. At least they are trying by giving us a say, but you want to dismiss it before it even happens.
Who said anything about optImism?
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 19:27 — acidqueenI'm being realistic, based on 11 years of interaction with the Hurricanes organization.
Just because you're a fan of a team, that doesn't mean that you have to believe they can do no wrong. Gale Force has no clue about the parking, even after 9 years of practice at the RBC Center--they wouldn't even listen to complaints before, so what makes you think they'll listen now?
So excuse the daylights out of me for refusing to be blindly homerish and actually think that GFH will do anything other than offer yet more excuses for the ineptitude of the parking staff.
where is the real problem
Mon, 07/21/2008 - 16:00 — SubwayScoundrelAcidQueen. I am a STH since 2000. I don't have a problem with parking and I go to 35 or more game a year. I don't beleive the Canes org can do no wrong but I have to say........sometimes you have to look inside yourself and realize that the problem is not always with everyone else, the problem lies within you.
Huh?
Tue, 07/22/2008 - 16:44 — acidqueenSo let me see if I have this straight--just because you haven't had a
problem with the parkbots at all in the time that you have been going
to games, then there isn't a problem and those who have had parking
issues just have something fundamentally wrong with them and are projecting?
What? Could you please make a little less sense?
No since you don't appear
Wed, 07/23/2008 - 13:02 — SubwayScoundrelNo since you don't appear to get it. Read your diatribe again and yes, there are issues they want to solve, but you appear to offer no solution but complaining. Some people get that way when they get behind the wheel of a car. They expect the seas to part for them. That is why I say many times, not all, the issue is with the person behind the wheel than the lines of cars when 18K plus people leave or try to enter the same building at the same time.
Heaven forbid I actually go on past experience!
Wed, 07/23/2008 - 13:09 — acidqueenSaying that there are issues that they want to solve is all well and good--but past experience with this organization's ability to listen to the hoi polloi leaves me guarded at best.
If they actually do something about the left-hand/right-hand nonsense when it comes to parking, I'll be pleasantly surprised; but unlike you, I refuse to take them at face value. Fool me once, and all that.
Did the survey go to all
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 12:43 — Paul (not verified)Did the survey go to all STHs, or just those full-season ones? I have a mini-plan, and I don't recall getting any survey in the last few months.
What would be ironic is if 5,000 people turned up the 20th to complain and parking and get stuck in traffic trying to get into the parking lot ....
I filled it out....
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 15:15 — Anonymous (not verified)I filled out the survey and sent it in w/ my season ticket renewal form. I don't know if it went to the mini-plan holders... but it probably did.
Parking summit
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 12:43 — David (not verified)You rule, Luke! I'm certain that your reporting (something that few who are paid as reporters actually do these days) helped to make this an issue. Nice work!
Parking Summit
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 15:16 — Paul (not verified)Reporters who get paid?
That's a new idea.
Mostly, they just get fired these days.
well...
Fri, 07/18/2008 - 12:56 — ldecock (author)To be honest, as much as I'd like to accept that compliment, all I did was provide the forum.
If this discussion helped provoke any change (or hasten it, as it certainly appears the Hurricanes had parking on their agenda this summer as well), it's the people who shared their comments, questions, criticisms, compliments and suggestions here who deserve the credit.