Denver Broncos Fans Are Pissed There'll Be Little Parking at New Broncos Stadium
Denver Broncos fans are pissed there will be little parking at the new Broncos stadium neighborhood. They're wondering where tailgating will take place.
Last week the Denver Broncos unveiled new renderings of their stadium's proposed neighborhood, and fans are pissed there will be little parking at the new Broncos stadium.
Of course, whenever a huge change happens people tend to freak out. And this will be the first time in Denver Broncos history the stadium doesn't stand in basically the exact same place it is today.
With a new stadium comes a lot of worry, not just about the location but how people will get there, tailgating, and whether or not the new stadium itself will uphold the longstanding homefield advantage and charm of Mile High Stadium, and New Mile High (aka Invesco/Sports Authority/Empower).
Denver Broncos Fans are Pissed at the Lack of Parking at the New Stadium
The American mind can't comprehend taking a bus or train to a football game.
Hey, it's not all our fault.
Society has been shaped around driving your car everywhere, parking in an expansive parking lot, and walking a few blocks into the store/stadium etc.
Meanwhile, on the East Coast, thousands of fans took the train to see World Cup matches this summer. But is Denver ready for that?
The short answer is no. But more on the public transit options that will be available in a minute.
It seems like the Broncos ownership and leadership know fans are already a little bit upset with a new stadium in the first place. They've proposed a retractable roof stadium, but even as recently as Tuesday they are basically promising Broncos fans little will change with games.
"We want to be able to enjoy the outdoor Colorado weather," CEO Greg Penner said on Tuesday to the media. "[No.] 2, we want to be able to grow grass. Then [No.] 3, as we were thinking about a retractable roof, we want the skydivers to be able to land. (Laughs)”
The great PR campaign is on.
I don't see any way the new retractable roof could be big enough to allow skydivers to land safely. I saw a picture of the landing area the skydivers need to hit at the current Mile High Stadium; it's about 20% of the field so they avoid the skycam cables. Of the retractable roof stadiums in operation, all of their openings are vastly smaller than the current stadium's open-air design.
And the logic follows that if the owners are blowing smoke about the skydivers, they could also be about the natural grass and playing in the weather.
Meanwhile, NFL players were upset this summer when 7 stadiums installed grass on turf fields. Is there a long-term (see: full season) option for that in Denver?
Rich Kurtzman
And while the AFC Championship Game weather didn't exactly favor the Broncos, they have won many games historically thanks to the cold and snow. But it seems very unlikely the Broncos will open the stadium roof when it's, say, below 30 degrees or when it's snowing.
That's a shame because football is meant to be played outdoors.
So, why would the owners continue to promise things they might not be able to cash in on?
Because fans are already: 1. Questioning the need for a new stadium when Empower Field at Mile High underwent $100M in renovations three years ago, 2. Upset at the possibility of season ticket holders being forced to pay for personal seat licensing fees in the multiple thousands of dollars, and now 3. Mad there's little parking at the new stadium.
Broncos Fans Ask "Where's the parking lot?"
Following last week's new Denver Broncos stadium renderings release, fans were up in arms about the lack of parking.
I saw the first comment about it on Reddit.
Rich
"Public transit for 70k+ people will be a nightmare, especially for those 11am games."
One person replied the Broncos don't play any games at 11 a.m. MT at home. But I replied about the recent World Cup and people taking public transit to the games. That was true in places like New York/New Jersey, Boston, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta and so on.
It can be true in Denver as well.
In fact, it's blatantly clear they want Broncos fans to take public transit to the game.
That's why the new renderings of the stadium district show a few hundred parking spaces, but also highlighted are the 10th and Osage RTD Light Rail Station, as well as the COCO stop.
Still, fans were pissed there's little parking at the new Broncos stadium.
These screenshots from multiple different Instagram accounts including thedenverinsider, denvertrav, and 1043thefan.
The questions and comments about parking were evident on basically every post about the new stadium.
Fans are so upset, they're arguing with one another in the comments of Instagram posts.
It's Clear the Broncos Want You to Take Public Transit to Games (and Concerts)
The Broncos are using those acres usually reserved for parking lots and putting shopping, residential, and more in their new neighborhood.
Sure, they're looking to make money. But it's a better use of the space than the lots which sit empty 300-plus days a year.
And the team has smartly planned public transit that drops you off right at the stadium.
The 10th and Osage station is an already existing RTD Light Rail Station. There's little doubt that RTD could and likely would increase the size of trains on game days and for concerts.
Then, there's the COCO stop. The Colorado Connector, also known as COCO, is the new front range passenger rail which will open in 2029, or two years before the new Broncos stadium is supposed to open. Yes, in 2029 the only section of COCO that will be built will be from Fort Collins to Denver, but it will be expanded over time just like the Light Rail has been.
Personally, I can't wait to take the COCO from FoCo to D-Town for Broncos games. There's also the Bustang that can take you from Fort Collins to Denver for games as well.
But there are needed improvements from RTD.
RTD needs to bring back the BroncosRide in full
We had the Park-n-Ride back in the 90s when I was a kid. And I remember back in the day when they first started building the light rail; my mom would take my brother and I to the I-25 and Broadway station and we'd ride it to near Coors Field back in the late 90s, early 2000s.
We can return. We can get back to the brilliance of the 90s.
Apparently, the BroncosRide was ended by RTD during the pandemic, suspended before the 2020-2021 season and never revived. That's silly.
But according to Denverite, Regional Transportation District is going to bring BroncosRide back in 2027, though it will be in limited capacity.
BroncosRide is somewhat ingenious; you park your car at a neighborhood lot, jump on the bus and ride it to the game. Then get back on the bus postgame and back to your car where you have a short drive home.
According to Denverite, the new BroncosRide could haul 6,500 fans to games on Sundays. But it would cost them $2.1M to operate, and RTD just spent around the same amount of money for marketing the COCO.
A simple solution seems to be to charge fans to ride the bus. Hire me, RTD. I gotchu.
For now, there are 33 proposed BroncosRide parking lots across Denver and the suburbs. But keep in mind this pilot program was to begin this year and has been delayed to 2027.
Another option to fund the busing is for the Broncos to either: 1. Pay for the buses because they are billionaires or 2. Partly fund this as more goodwill for fans and the city.
Fans taking public transit to games is a win-win-win
Fans riding the bus, light rail, or COCO to the game is a win for many reasons.
First and foremost, there are less cars on the road. That means less congestion, fewer chances for accidents, and fewer emissions. Of note, Denver's air pollution has long been an issue. Second, there will be fewer impaired drivers on the road and for shorter distances. Riding the bus home gives fans a chance to further sober up after indulging in beers before and during games. Finally, taking public transit is good for the community. You're meeting fellow Broncos fans, chanting together on the way to the game, and sacrificing a tiny bit in order to help society function better for the day.
Simply, we can all take the bus and light rail and COCO to the Broncos games.
And it looks like we will have to.
Current plans call for 7,000 parking spots at the new Broncos stadium, which is the same number as the current stadium. However, Empower Field is close to Auraria Campus where there are another 7,000 parking spots fans can use.
Of note, some have said there are plans for underground parking, but I'm not seeing that from any credible sources. That is one small solution, but less parking and more public transit it a better option.
It's also important to keep in mind that on projects of this size, things often change dramatically over time.
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Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
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