Last month's Live Earth concert held in the Meadowlands was intended to make people aware of problems surrounding the environment and the community at large. But it also ushered more shuttle buses into Secaucus, and some residents reported seeing people park in Secaucus and walk to the concert.
"It was our understanding that they were encouraging people to take train into Secaucus and providing shuttle busses to the train," said Town Administrator Anthony Iacono.
With the Giants and Jets football teams starting their seasons this month, those events also are causing changes in parking rules at the complex.
The New York Jets website, www.newyorkjets.com, instructs attendees about a new policy indicating that anyone wishing to park at the complex site itself must have purchased pre-paid parking permits. Anyone wishing to attend the game without a ticket will be directed to one of the off-site lots instead.
A site in Lyndhurst will be the primary lot for the "day of" attendees. This is a new measure that is taking place this year and will continue until the Xanadu construction is complete.
"Please note that if you do not return the enclosed invoice and purchase Pre-Paid Parking Permits before the preseason begins, you will not be permitted to park in any of the Meadowlands lots," reads the policy on the web site.
A member of the Meadowlands Sports Complex marketing division said that the teams are handling the parking independently of the complex. Xanadu is a $1.3 billion, 4.96 million-square-foot commercial development that will be built around the existing Continental Airlines Arena in Rutherford, near the border with Secaucus.
The loss of approximately 5,000 spaces has forced attendees of events to find alternate routes to the complex. The Meadowlands Sports Complex is promoting is the use of rail into the Secaucus Junction terminal. Shuttle buses run back and forth from the terminal on event days.
Also, they have set aside a location on Wall Street in Lyndhurst for people to park. Shuttle buses also pick up people there.
Despite these promotions, people are still managing to find even more extreme methods of attending their favorite events.
Walking from Secaucus
During the Live Earth Concert, Secaucus residents noticed that passengers dressed for the concert were seen parking their vehicles in Secaucus and exiting toward the stadium.
It is possible to park in Secaucus and walk to the either Giants Stadium or the Continental Airlines Arena. But a person would have to cross the bridge near Route 3, which Iacono called "crazy."
"There's dangerous, and then there's crazy. That's crazy," said Iacono.
While the Meadowlands Sports Complex denies ever advising people to park in Secaucus, the problem still arose.
Giants stadium's first game of the season will be this Friday, Aug. 10 when the Jets host the Atlanta Falcons in the preseason.
Residents are encouraged to report anyone parking in Secaucus and attempting to walk to the stadium to the local authorities at 201-867-3000.
Before attending events at the stadium, it is important that fans understand the parking regulations. For information on parking policies for both the Giants and the Jets, call the Meadowlands Sports Complex at 201-935-8500 or go to their website at www.meadowlands.com.
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