Brewers demand fee for Miller Park shuttles

[jhart05]

http://www.jsonline.com/business/82655217.html

 

What do you think?

 

$300 per business. About 30 bars have a shuttle. That's $9,000. So that $9k is really going to help the bottom line that much?

 

If anything they should be giving kickbacks to bars for taking fans to the game. Offering to pay these bars gas money for taking fans to the games, free tickets, something, not charging them for bringing in customers.

 

This just doesn't make any sense at all.

[Crew2323]

If I read that article correctly, the Brewers are requesting the fee in order to pay for more police to guide the traffic. I think that they could use more traffic control, especially near the home plate area. You routinely have people cutting in front of the buses as they attempt to pull out of the loading area. Also, you routinely see people loading up in the buses before they get to the loading area, which causes all kinds of congestion and problems. I personally find it to be an unsafe situation, and I can understand why the Brewers would want to do something about it. I always feel like I need to have my head on a swivel when I go through that home plate area.

[Invader3K]

Brewers' spokesman Tyler Barnes said the $300 fee was imposed because of safety concerns related to the intersection of W. Blue Mound Road and N. Story Parkway and the drop-off point near the home plate area. Those concerns include pedestrian traffic and shuttle activity.

 

"The best solution in our eyes was to staff the intersection with Milwaukee police officers, as well as add staffing to the drop-off locations," Barnes said. "The fee will help, but not completely cover the expenses related to staffing."

 

It seems somewhat valid. The bars are creating this issue that necessitates increased staffing. $300 is a relatively small price to pay to be able to promote their Brewers shuttle services, I'd think.

[HOF4canrake]

$300 is nothing for these bars. Yes, they help by bringing in people to Miller Park, but they make a large chunk of cash off these people before and after the games so it goes both ways. As someone who frequently attends games and parks off Bluemound Rd., a number of those shuttles coming out of the parking lot, before the game especially, bully their way past and through cars, cutting people off with no care in the world.

 

They desparately need police there to control the traffic. If you consider the season to be 6 months, that's a whole $50 a month for this. I think they're just upset because they're used to everything being free. I would guess they make up that $50 in about an hour at the bar...people just always need something to complain about.

[hawing]

As regular navigators of the Blue Mound/Story intersection after games, we've been surprised the last couple of seasons at how often no police were stationed there to help move traffic along. Though I'll readily admit to not being a business owner or bar frequenter, I'd be surprised if $300 for six months of access would break any of the establishments involved.

[TabbertBB]

Belling has talked and bashed the Brewers on this issue for the past 2 days.
Also, $300 is a drop in the bucket for a big business like the Brewers. It just seems they are being Business Unfriendly to someone that is bringing them a lot of business and keeping drunks off the road. These people also tend to consume a few more beers in the stadium. They should be happy that these people are taking shuttle buses and such and not wanting to drive and park in already crowded parking lots and consuming more gasoline.
I guess the Green the Brewers think about is Dollars.
Gee, and how much money was spent on Doug Davis. I am sure this $9,000 will go along ways. Seems Dollar foolish and Penny wise.

 

[Buckhunts]

The bars need the Brewers (particularly the ones near the stadium) a lot more than the Brewers need the bars. The bars are making money off the shuttles! They would not do it unless they could make money on it. In fact, I'm willing to bet that when they came up with the idea of a shuttle to miller park, the idea that they were preventing drunk driving wasn't in the top three reasons why they were going to do it. The bars are still mad that they don't get Opening Day tickets anymore and that fuels most of their anger. Furthermore, the shuttles are taking away business from the Brewers in the form of parking revenue. So again, don't say that the shuttles are doing the Brewers a favor. Yes, it is great they they support the Brewers and I wish more bars around the state would do it, but their support is driven by the almighty Dollar just the same as any other business. If they couldn't make money on the Brewers, it would be an afterthought.

[owbc]

They are charging the shuttles far, far less than the cost of general parking. I am actually somewhat surprised that they were not already being charged for accessing the parking lots.

 

The end of bar tickets was one of the best things ever to happen to Opening Day. There was a considerable difference between 2009 and 2008 in the upper corner of the terrace. People were actually watching the game last year instead of the drunken mayhem that was ongoing in the concourse in previous years. Yes, Opening Day is always going to feature plenty of drunk people--but there is a big difference between having a few really drunk people and the majority of the section being completely wasted.

[bjkrautk]

Belling has talked and bashed the Brewers on this issue for the past 2 days.

Also, $300 is a drop in the bucket for a big business like the Brewers. It just seems they are being Business Unfriendly to someone that is bringing them a lot of business and keeping drunks off the road. These people also tend to consume a few more beers in the stadium. They should be happy that these people are taking shuttle buses and such and not wanting to drive and park in already crowded parking lots and consuming more gasoline.

I guess the Green the Brewers think about is Dollars.

Gee, and how much money was spent on Doug Davis. I am sure this $9,000 will go along ways. Seems Dollar foolish and Penny wise.

Whether you like him or not (and I'm a daily listener to his show), Belling's perspective is affected by his being a frequenter of many of the bars in the Milwaukee area, and having personal relationships with the bar owners.

 

It's about $3.70 per game, plus the costs associated with running the shuttle. That's what, two beers? Is that marginal $4 going to stop some bars from running shuttles to and from the game? Not many....and any that do will serve the purpose of stablizing traffic in that area.

 

...and, as someone who hasn't ever taken one of these shuttles....do they really reduce drunken driving, or just scatter where they're starting from?

[Invader3K]

I think based on what I've seen in the lots in the past, the argument that there is a need for additional policing of that area is a valid one. The Brewers shouldn't be expected to just "eat" that cost. The bars are creating the problem, they should help pay to fix it. Like bjkrautk points out, that fee amounts to a fraction of what a general parking pass even costs per game.

[TabbertBB]

And $9,000 is about what-- 5 pitches for Doug Davis.

[Patrick425]

And $9,000 is about what-- 5 pitches for Doug Davis.

If you read the above posts and the quote from the Brewer's spokesperson, they are not doing this to raise extra revenue, they are doing it so that they can add extra security and police in the drop off and pick up areas. This added fee will not even cover that entire extra expense, but it will help.

 

I'm guessing that the bar patrons that use the shuttle would not balk at paying a $1 fee (afterall, this is being done for their safety). This would more than offset the cost to the Bars.

 

[jhart05]

$9k from places who are bringing in paying customers to their place.

 

I think it's petty by the Brewers.

 

$9k is what, one inning of Suppan? An AB from Prince.

 

Yes, $300 is not much for these bars who will just end up charging a dollar more from us for a ride down there. But it means even less to the Brewers.

[Invader3K]

jhart, as a business owner myself, I would say expecting any business, even one as huge as an MLB franchise, to just "eat" the cost of providing additional security is overly simplistic. That money has to come from somewhere. The bars are creating the issue. Why shouldn't they help pay for an expense they are necessitating?

 

I'm sure this is not much compared to what the Cubs charge those local building owners to have seating on their rooftops, as another comparison.

[monty57]

Whatever happens, I hope the bars don't stop the shuttles (and I doubt they will over $300). I travel in from out of town, and often meet friends and family for the games. Since I have the tickets, logistically, it's wonderful that we can all meet at Kelly's Bleachers before the game and go into the game together. It makes it really easy for groups coming from different cities to meet for the game. Plus, we can get on the shuttle, back to Kelly's and on the road before most people are out of the parking lot.

 

For me, it's not about getting wasted at the bar... it's a matter of convenience.

[RobDeer 45]

Those bars make $300 in about 20 min before a game. It's not a big deal at all! Let's not get crazy about this. I thought they'd be charging them 3k. This should not even be a debate.

[dlk9s]

Those of you who are jumping into the thread to criticize the Brewers for being petty need to a) read the JSOnline article, and b) read the thread. There is, as Invader and others have pointed out, a legitimate reason for the fee request. I mean, come on, do you really think the Brewers would be so greedy as to try to squeeze that little bit of money out of bar owners just for the heck of it?

[Flying Dutchman]

The way I read it, it's $300/bar correct? I am a little confused because it specifically mentions how many shuttles one bar runs, and if it's $300/bus I think that's a different situation right there. I think $300/bar is reasonable at the very least, and am surprised they don't already have a system like that in place, $300/bus would be a different issue.

[paul253]

Just to put things in perspective here. $9000 total from the bars. 81 homes games. If you're hiring extra police for traffic concerns you figure you'd need them there for at minimum 5 hours. Assuming I did the math correctly, that would leave about $22.22 an hour for the police. That's not even enough to cover the hourly expense of one police officer working overtime. Personally I don't buy the Brewer's explanation and I'm interested to see how often and how much they raise the fees.

[jhart05]

I've used the shuttles before. I don't drink, so I use them for the convenience factor.

 

The "problem" is not caused by the shuttles.

 

It's caused by the other drunk idiots not riding shuttles, not paying attention to what's going on, walking in front of them, stumbling thru the turnaround area expecting the shuttles to stop for them.

 

If people could use just a little common sense, there would not be this "problem". But common sense is quickly becoming a lost art everywhere.

 

Direct your other customers not to walk thru the turnaround area and there is no problem here.

[LaprilOne]

Direct your other customers not to walk thru the turnaround area and there is no problem here.

 

True, which is what I think the Brewer's want to do with added security (=cost).

 

Also, is is good that many of the bar patrons are in a bus, not a car. Yet, I wonder how many stumble off the bus, have a few more beers, and drive home.

[SeriesFinale]

Also, is is good that many of the bar patrons are in a bus, not a car. Yet, I wonder how many stumble off the bus, have a few more beers, and drive home.

Well, I meanm here Pandora is starting to try to pound on the lid of her box.

 

Are the taverns and grills on Blue Mound and elsewhere a bigger danger for this than the other 15-25K or so who are treating the MP parking lots like an open bar? Where it's a big part of the actual "culture" surrounding the franchise, like it or not? I honestly don't know.

 

As for the issue at hand though, I've taken the shuttles a couple times when it was more convenient to meet at a bar and have a bite and a beer than to park at MP for whatever reason, and I thought they were great and the owners obviously have them for a reason. It brings in people. I think $3.70 per game is reasonable to keep them going and going safely.

 

 

[LaprilOne]

Rev. Agree with you. I was just speaking to the irony that will creep up at times.

 

I am all for the buses, as a whole, it eases car suggestion, and even can spread out the impaired driving farther from the park. I agree too, getting a beer and brat at the bar, hanging with friends, and getting a ride to the game is a fun thing.

 

Looks like the extra security will be helpful. I say they hire Rubin Quevedo to head it up.

[ewizabeff]

Just to put things in perspective here. $9000 total from the bars. 81 homes games. If you're hiring extra police for traffic concerns you figure you'd need them there for at minimum 5 hours.

I would argue that you'd only need police around for about 2 hours a game. The problem at Blue Mound occurs after the game, not before it starts or during the first 7 innings. Even when the line is backed up for blocks and blocks, drivers seem to handle the traffic civilly on the way in.

[ilovebeer]

i took the shuttle from mcgins a few times last year, it was great, u go in and eat or drink first they give u a ticket for the bus and usally you tip the driver $1, all the times i went on the bus it was packed.