The New England Patriots NFL American football franchise has introduced a free-parking initiative that is designed to save fans money and ease traffic congestion around Gillette Stadium.
The free parking will be available in a so-called ‘delayed exit lot’ in Lot 55 at Gillette Stadium. The catch is that fans will only be able to use the free slot if they plan on leaving at least 75 minutes after the game has finished.
The plan has been devised by Patriots president Jonathan Kraft and comes after a test was carried out last year. The initiative has been introduced in time for the new NFL season.
The team’s chief operating officer Jim Nolan said, according to CBS: “This really has two benefits, for those who want to park for free: they now can and we are the only NFL stadium to have that. For everyone else who wants to leave immediately after the game, for every car that takes advantage of free parking, it’s one less car that the other folks are competing with to get out of here after the game.”
The cost of parking near Gillette Stadium is pricey, with spots on the stadium side of Route 1 increasing from $40 (£33/€36) to $60 this season. Prices for spots across the road from stadium have been dropped to $30 from $40.
Gillette Stadium has a capacity of 65,878.
Image: Bernard Gagnon
