How not to do "transportation demand management"

I had forgotten about the Washington Redskins latest revenue generation technique, charging a fee for parking on every ticket (see "You'll pay a parking fee at FedExField - even when you don't come in a car" from the Washington City Paper) until I listened to last week's Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU-Radio show partially about transportation, which featured WRC-TV reporter Tom Sherwood and Arlington County Board member Chris Zimmerman, among others.

Sherwood talked with Kojo about how DC Government is still talking with the Redskins about relocating back to the city. One of the things that he said is that the Redskins stadium generates $20 million annually for Prince George's County. Other reporting, such as this article from the Post, "Md. Weighs Stadium for D.C. United: Study Will Gauge Pr. George's Benefits," from last year, says differently.

PG County nets $10 million in Redskins-related economic benefit, but 80% comes from the additional tax on concessions and tickets. Even $10 million annually might not be an adequate return on investment in terms of what was expended by the State of Maryland and the County to land this facility.

Without the tax on tickets, PG County would make only $2 million/year from the stadium.

But I digress....

Redskins stadium in the distance. Katherine Frey, Washington Post.

While I believe that stadiums and arenas should be required to do transportation demand management planning, the parking charge by the Redskins is a travesty (yes I know people tailgate). People should be encouraged to carpool or use transit, and the parking charge doesn't do that, since people pay regardless of how they get there.

From the City Paper article:

Area rock and soccer fans these days are feeling Snyder’s parking genius, right in their pocketbooks. Paul McCartney and Real Madrid v. D.C. United played at Snyder’s FexExField this month, and U2 is coming next month. For every ticket sold to these events, Snyder has tacked on a parking charge, from $5 to $10, in addition to all the other fees (Ticketmaster and the like). This is in addition to the advertised admission charge.

So, if you drove with five people to the McCartney show, you will have paid $60 for a parking spot in a Godforsaken portion of Prince George’s County. And if you took those same five people on the Metro with you, you will have paid $60 to not park in a Godforsaken portion of Prince George’s County.

In "The Stadium of the Future" (also see "HOK Imagines the Ballpark of the Future") Fast Company magazine reports that with proper planning, a significant number of fans will come to the event via public transit. From the article:

NO PARKING ZONE

Noticeably absent: parking. Last year, 53% of visitors to Washington's Nationals Park came via the Metro, a trend that's expected to grow. Ideally, residents park off-site and ride light rail (or maglev trains, in this rendering), allowing better -- and more revenue-generating -- use of space than parking lots.

Transportation demand management requirements, not just a parking charge benefiting the stadium owner, should be mandatory for stadiums/arenas and the events held within.

If Nationals or Wizards or Capitals tickets were each assessed a $10 fee for transportation demand management, there would be justifiable rebellion... But Verizon Center (and RFK) and Nationals Stadium abut transit, even if the power of transit connections vary (Verizon Center is served by all five subway lines without necessarily having to transfer--if you are willing to walk from Metro Center...).