Providence Place Mall Defends Parking Price Increases, Addresses World Cup Traffic Jams

Providence Place Mall Defends Parking Price Increases, Addresses World Cup Traffic Jams

Providence Place Mall (PPM) has responded to criticisms that parking garage fees have increased for the World Cup - and that there were massive traffic jams following the last World Cup game on Wednesday night.

 

Following the Columbia - Uzbekistan game at the Providence Fan Zone across from the mall, attendees who parked in the PPM garage reported long wait times to exit - and higher prices.

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Drivers reported that several exits were closed and that there were no parking attendants to assist with the crowds.

 

On Thursday, a spokesperson for Providence Place Mall addressed the concerns.

 

"Providence Place has been proud to serve as a key visitor site as PVD FanZone is open, as we welcome thousands of visitors to downtown,” said PPM Spokesperson Sarah Dell.

 

“To accommodate increased demand associated with Downtown events, Providence Place implemented a special event parking rate that maintains free parking for the first two hours and $2 parking for stays between two and three hours, while aligning longer-term rates with other nearby event parking facilities.”

 

A chart obtained by GoLocal shows that for 3 to 5 hours, the “Summer of Soccer” rate is $15, when it was previously $2. 



For 5 to 10 hours, parking increased from $15 to $25; for 10 to 20 hours, the price went up from $20 to $25. 
 


“This is only while there are actively events happening at the FanZone across the street, otherwise visitors would see regular rates,” said Dell.

Traffic Jam Addressed

“Following last night's match, some guests experienced delays exiting the garage. Due to a combination of exceptionally high post-event traffic volumes, modified traffic flow within the garage after midnight, and an equipment issue involving a garage gate, exit times after midnight were longer than anticipated,” said Dell.

 

“Our operations and parking management teams are continually reviewing PVD FanZone crowd volumes to be able to adjust event-day procedures to support traffic flow and assist guests during peak departure periods."