Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - It's another Bills game day in Western New York, as Buffalo gets set to host the Jacksonville Jaguars for the first prime-time game of the season on Monday night at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
Monday will be the third game of the year in Orchard Park, where fans will need to be aware of a slight change to the traffic patterns, especially once the game has concluded and fans head home for the evening.
For those traveling on Route 20A heading home from Highmark Stadium, Big Tree Road will convert to a two-lane, one-way road heading Westbound between Abbott Road and Southwestern Boulevard. That is similar to Big Tree Road from Fieldhouse Drive to Route 219 also being a two-lane, one-way road heading Eastbound away from the stadium.
In addition, fans will have to be aware of new pedestrian corridors in place along Route 20A to ensure the safety of those heading to-and-from Highmark Stadium.
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Though it's only been two games with this new traffic pattern in place (one preseason game and the regular season opener), some private lot owners around Highmark Stadium feel the new adjustments after the game have worked quite well.
"They were actually letting [drivers on] Abbott Road make a left-hand turn outside of Danny's to 20A toward Southwestern, which they didn't do with the games before, and it seemed to ease up a little bit," said Mark Ebeling, owner of Danny's South at the corner of Big Tree Road and Abbott Road. "You've still got a good flow coming up Abbott Road toward the 219. I think they're experimenting more, and it seems to be working right now."
Eric "Hammer" Matwijow says the changes remind him of traffic patterns after some events like a NASCAR race with all roads leading from the venue being two lanes out each way.
"Obviously we've got 1,000 less cars on Lot 4, there's probably the same amount, if not more, from the old RV lot. So traffic on Abbot Road right now is flowing. It gets out a lot faster than it has in the past. So it's actually benefited us as a neighborhood, besides my lot. It's a little less demand, of course, people are parking a lot farther out, walking a greater distance," said Matwijow, who owns Hammer's Lot along Abbott Road.
One thing Matwijow has noticed more of with Bills fans this year is the amount of people electing to carpool and park that way around the stadium.
"I notice a little bit of an increase in the amount of people in the vehicle. I don't know if they're parking at the McKinley Mall, Tops or someplace else and then piling all in one car, just to save some money and and take advantage. They're trying to help out that way also," Matwijow said in an interview with WBEN.
Both Ebeling and Matwijow feel that overall, traffic to-and-from Highmark Stadium has mostly improved over the last couple of seasons, even with parking being affected this year by the construction of the new stadium along Abbott Road.
"Getting into the game is pretty decent, because the people are spacing themselves coming out. My lot opens five, six hours before the stadium opens their lot, which helps out. But I still say the fastest way to get people out of here is get them onto the Thruway right away at the 219," Ebeling said with WBEN. "For some reason, they wouldn't let you go down 20A toward the 219, they make you go around the block. I've said this before, open up two lanes on the way out, one lane on the way in on 20A, and I think it'd get rid of a lot of traffic. It seems to be working now, because they're letting them make a left-hand turn at my intersection now, which they weren't doing for years."
One of the concerns for Matwijow continues to remain with pedestrian traffic along Abbott Road, especially with this game Monday being the first prime-time game of the year.
"A lot of people walking, because they're parking at a greater distance. Abbott Road has turned into a four-lane pedestrian walkway without any dedicated cones to make a pedestrian sidewalk, maybe in one of the lanes so that the cars could come up and down," Matwijow noted. "I mean, it's a little dangerous, especially with this night game coming up. We don't have the problems like they have on the North side, I'm biting my tongue here and hope nothing happens. Night times, your vision gets a little weaker, and people just have to be careful."
So what advise do Ebeling and Matwijow have for those heading to the stadium not just on Monday, but for the rest of the season in Orchard Park? The first bit of advise from both private lot owners is don't be afraid to arrive early.
"If you're a die-hard fan and you've been coming here all these years, you're good to go. But if you haven't been here, there's plenty of parking all over the place," Ebeling said. "I have a big parking lot, and my neighbors up-and-down the street are parking cars. So if you can't get to the Bills' lots, you can always park in one of [my neighbors'], or if you can get into my lot, my lots usually full, though. But I just think if you come in early, and when you're leaving the game, sit for an hour, wait. Don't rush out into the traffic, sit for an hour or two, and just wait. There's no hurry to get home."
"My lot opens at 1 p.m., the stadium lots open at [3:30 p.m.]. They close the Abbott Road off in front of the stadium at 2:30 p.m., which is a little later than they normally do that. Try to get out here early, because traffic on a normal day is crazy on the I-90, I-190, I-290, Route 5, now you have more congestion for the game," Matwijow added. "So in case anybody comes down with an illness or something at noon time and you have to leave work early, it might not be a bad thing to just try to avoid some of the traffic."
Here are more traffic and other game day notes ahead of Monday's Bills-Jaguars game courtesy of the Erie County Sheriff's Office:
All guests are recommended to review Highmark Stadium maps to locate the best location in which to park and gate at which to enter. Additionally, all fans are reminded to familiarize themselves with the list of prohibited items at Highmark Stadium in order to avoid delays at the gates.
ABBOTT ROAD:
- Abbott Road in front of the stadium closes to North and Southbound traffic at 2:30 p.m. ET;
- This section of Abbott Road will remain closed until after the game.
ROUTE 20A (BIG TREE ROAD):
- Prior to the conclusion of the game (approximately 10 p.m. ET), Route 20A from Fieldhouse Drive to Rte. 219 will convert to two-lane, one-way traffic headed Eastbound away from the stadium;
- Prior to the conclusion of the game (approximately 10 p.m. ET), Route 20A from Abbott Road to Southwestern Boulevard will convert to two-lane, one-way traffic headed Westbound away from the stadium.
STADIUM LOTS:
- All stadium lots open at 3:30 p.m. ET, and drivers are asked NOT to park on the shoulder of the roadways for pedestrian safety;
- Lot 3 is closed due to new stadium construction;
- The Bus & Limo lot is located on the north side of the stadium along Southwestern Boulevard;
- All stadium parking lots require an advanced-purchase parking pass (except Lot 2-ADA and Lot 6-ADA).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;
- Intoxicated and unmanageable guests will NOT be permitted entry into the stadium;
- Stadium gates will open at 5:30 p.m. ET.
For a map of the stadium and parking lots, visit: https://www.buffalobills.com/stadium/
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