The 2017 Major League Baseball Postseason is here again! The City of Cleveland and businesses, residents, and fans are ready to “Rally Together” behind the Cleveland Indians. The City and downtown area partners are preparing to accommodate the increase of sports fans and visitors from all over the country. In order to better enjoy this experience The City of Cleveland and the Cleveland Division of Police are providing the following tips and information to make this experience memorable and enjoyable.
Here are five things you need to know before heading to Downtown Cleveland to catch the games:
1) Parking restrictions
The first game of the American League Division Series begins this Thursday, Oct. 5th at 7:38 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. The start time of the game combined with the evening commute of downtown workers is expected to cause delays. In order to improve traffic flow, the Division of Police will be implementing “NO PARKING” designations in the following areas on both sides of the listed streets and times:
- Carnegie Avenue from East 9th Street to East 14th Street (Both Sides)
- Prospect Avenue from Ontario Street to East 14th Street (Both sides)
- Huron Road from Ontario Street to West 6th Street (Both sides)
- Erie Court and Sumner Avenue (Both sides)
- East 9th Street from Euclid Avenue to Carnegie Avenue (Both sides)
- East 4th Street from Prospect Avenue to Huron Road (Both sides)
- East 2nd Street from High Street to Prospect Avenue (Both sides)
NOTE: American League Division Series (ALDS) Game 2 Friday, October 6th, starts at 5:08 p.m. and gates open 3 p.m.
2) Be cautious of counterfeit tickets
Be cautious of purchasing postseason tickets from individuals selling on the streets near Progressive Field. Fans who purchase tickets from a secondary source are taking a chance. Tickets for Games 1 and 2 of the American League Division Series on Thursday and Friday are sold out, but purchasing from other sources besides Indians.com is done at the buyer’s risk.
Police officers want to proactively curb such activity and encourage buyers to be aware. Purchasing via other means creates the potential for possessing either an invalid or counterfeit ticket. The Indians are not responsible for tickets purchased through secondary sources.
3) Arrive early
In order to ensure that you arrive at your destination without missing a second of the action, plan your commute beforehand and allow yourself extra travel time.
4) If you see something suspicious, say something.
Report any suspicious activity to safety officials.
5) Ride RTA.
The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (GCRTA) is celebrating the Indians this playoff season by extending service on all rail lines for the playoff games and selling a special $5-cash, round-trip ticket for the playoff series.
The special $5-cash, round-trip ticket is available at the following stations:
- Brookpark
- Puritas
- Triskett
- Tower City Light Rail platform
- Louis Stokes/Windermere
Note: The Walkway will be open at 8:00 a.m. on both game days. The same service will be in place for the potential October 11th game in Cleveland.
Late-night service will be available on the Red, Blue, and Green Line — and guaranteed for 60 minutes after each game ends.
Fans can avoid the high cost of parking and Downtown traffic by purchasing an All-Day Pass on RTA’s mobile ticketing app for the most convenient access to RTA.
The Bureau of Traffic will supplement their customary allotment of traffic enforcement officers with additional police officers and traffic controllers to facilitate traffic into and out of downtown and to assist with pedestrian traffic. Numerous officers will be detailed to the area during the event for added security and crowd control.
The Ohio Department of Transportation would like to encourage everyone to download the OHGO app from the Ohio Department of Transportation to see real-time traffic speeds, hundreds of live traffic cameras, and travel delay times. Users can also set up custom traffic alerts.
