Arena officials made some minor adjustments after opening night, but after problems continued with a smaller crowd, they decided major changes were their best shot at scoring with fans.
The Hurricanes have had two disappointments at home, on the ice and on the roads. They hope the changes will pave the way toward an easier ride.
"We've made some good corporate decisions to kind of make up for our mistakes, what we consider to be our mistakes," says Davin Olsen, senior director of arena operations. "We've met, we've discussed it. I think we have a bona fide plan now that is going to work."
The plan is to open all the entrances into the arena to traffic. And, the cost of parking went down from $7 to $6.
"We're one price across the board in all the spots, and therefore it doesn't matter where you come. We're just going to get you in to the closest area, closest access point from either Wade Avenue or Trinity Road or the Edwards Mill connector, and park you accordingly through the spaces," Olsen says.
Fans who came to the home opener say there were not enough people directing traffic. More police officers and parking attendants were brought on for the second game.
"They're learning the process as we are, and everybody's mistakes snowball into a traffic jam, unfortunately," Olsen says.
The next big traffic test will be Saturday when WWF wrestling comes to town.
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