SMYRNA, Ga. — The Atlanta Braves start playing in their new stadium in less than two months, but many questions surround the looming first pitch at SunTrust Park.
Among the questions swirling: Where will people park?
As has been well reported, the Braves are moving to Cobb County for the 2017 season. The Braves have played in downtown Atlanta since moving from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966.
The Braves and Cobb County anticipate 82 percent of people will drive a private vehicle to the new 41,500-seat stadium, according to a parking and traffic management plan from Cobb County. Just 6 percent will take a taxi or ride-sharing option, while a measly 1 percent will use public transportation.
Officials claim there may be as many as 32,490 parking spaces at the new stadium. And, of those, 68.4 percent are a 15-minute walk or longer from the stadium, an analysis of the plan reveals.
The team owns just 15.1 percent — or 4,294 — of the total number of spots expected to be available. Another 6,599 parking spaces will be leased, leaving the remaining 20,967 planned spaces as “Potential Entrepreneur & Building Tenant Spaces,” the plan reveals.
Most of the entrepreneur spaces (nearly 86.4 percent) are a 15-minute or longer walk from the stadium.
