Driving to the draft? Here are your parking options for NFL's Detroit extravaganza

Detroit — As Detroit prepares to host the three-day NFL Draft this month, operators of parking lots and structures are preparing for an influx of motorists.

Because Detroit sits within 300 miles of six other NFL markets, that could mean that many of the expected 300,000 draft attendees could arrive by car, truck or SUV and need places to park for the April 25-27 event.

There are numerous parking options for motorists in and outside downtown, including paying in advance for a spot close to the action or parking farther out and taking the QLine streetcar to reach events in Campus Martius, Hart Plaza and other sites.

"Book your parking ahead of time, because a lot of stuff is already starting to book up," said Sam Krassenstein, Detroit’s chief of infrastructure, during a press conference Thursday highlighting transportation and parking options for the NFL Draft. "Take advantage of Google Maps and Waze to know how you're gonna get down there."

Mayor Mike Duggan suggested that visitors use one of these options on the days of the draft: a fan shuttle service, the QLine, SMART shuttle, DDOT buses, Uber or Lyft, or have a friend drop them off.

"I will predict by noon or one o'clock everything down here will be full, and so what we are saying to folks is you're going to need to think about an experience that's different than you're used to going to a football game," Duggan said. “Unless you're going to be here at nine or 10 in the morning, the idea of driving in and parking is probably not realistic. But we've got six options for you, and we want you to look at what those six options are. That is what we are trying to do is show people all the choices."

There's an app for that

For those who insist on parking downtown, there are about 120 surface lots and dozens of parking structures.

Draft attendees can navigate their options by using the city’s Parking Detroit app to see private and public garages and parking lots. The app shows pricing and availability and offers the option to pay ahead of time. Smaller and larger lot owners can opt in to participate in the app, said Keith Hutchings, Detroit's municipal parking director.

“You can determine whether you want to park in a structure, a parking lot, knowing what the price is going to be,” Hutchings said. “So you may want to be right at the event, so you're willing to pay more. Or you’re looking for a discount, so you're willing to pay a little bit less. And then you ... park farther away.”

Parking close to the action won’t be cheap. As of Thursday pre-paid parking at a downtown surface lot on the first day of the draft, April 25, cost an average of $70. There were some lots with parking available north of the Fisher Freeway for $10-$30, while parking spaces in Greektown lots were going for $91. Prices are expected to go up as the event approaches.

"A lot of times when you reserve it, you typically will save yourself some money because when it's a very big event, and parking is at a premium, pricing goes up higher the closer you get to the event,” Hutchings said.

Motorists can get turn-by-turn directions to the parking structure via the app. The user can use their preferred navigation to get to their parking spot.

Park-and-ride options

For those who prefer to park farther out from the draft events downtown, QLine officials said they will relaunch their park-and-ride program on the NFL Draft weekend.

Motorists can park their cars for $5 at Wayne State Parking Lot 12 on Woodward and ride the streetcar downtown. In addition to Lot 12 — which has 129 spaces — there are several parking lots in Midtown and the outer edge of downtown that will offer $5 parking during the event. 

Dan Lijana, a spokesperson for the QLine, said riders can park in these lots/garages owned by Bedrock for $5 during the event: 

• 116 Lothrup St. in New Center near the QLine stop on Grand Boulevard with 1,300 spaces available 
• 6540 Cass Ave. has 500 spaces available near the QLine stop on Baltimore Street 
• 6230 John R St. has 475 spaces available near the QLine stop on Amsterdam Street

The QLine will have modifications for NFL Draft set-up and break-down and subsequently run a shorter route starting April 13. Here are the changes:

• April 13-19, the streetcar will run one stop short to Campus Martius Park as the staging for the draft is set up. 
• April 20-28, the streetcar will stop at Sproat Street near Little Caesars Arena.
• April 29-May 1, the streetcar will run short to Campus Martius as the staging is being broken down.

Shuttle service will be available for these prices at the following locations:

• $10 per car at WSU structures 1, 5, and 2 at 450 W. Palmer Ave. Access is first-come, first-served.
• $15 per car at Bagley Mobility Hub, 1501 Wabash St. Prepay through LAZ Parking is recommended.
• $15 per car at River East Garage, 214 Rivard St. Prepay is recommended.

The SMART bus system will have three routes departing from park-and-ride locations and heading downtown once per hour during the NFL Draft for $2 per adult, $1 for riders 5-18 and 50 cents for adults over 65 and those with disabilities.

The routes are a Woodward Avenue bus that travels as far as Great Lakes Crossing Mall in Auburn Hills, a Michigan Avenue bus that travels to Metro Airport in Romulus, and a Gratiot Avenue bus that runs to Chesterfield Township.

Watching for gouging

To prevent price-gouging, the city of Detroit will have investigators out making sure that parking lot owners stay within their permitted price range, said Tyronne Charles, licensing and permits division manager. The average maximum permitted range for the lots is $80, he said, though operators can charge more if they submitted a permit request for a higher price and were approved.

Parking lots should have clear signage with their rates. And those rates should match their permit with the city.

“We have a lot of requirements and expectations from the owners,” he said. “But we feel very confident that they understand what our expectations (are), and they understand the enforcement efforts that will be involved.”

Motorists should look for clear parking signage when parking in and around downtown, Charles said: “The parking lot agenda should all have identification as well. That's another thing that is a big key. If they don't have identification or anything that they can produce at a time, that's usually a red flag that it's not a legitimate operation.”

Motorists are also cautioned not to park in illegal parking areas. There are some areas, such as Brush Park and Cass Park, that have newly created residential parking zones.

“We encourage people to look at signs before they park because they may be parking in a residential zone that does not allow them to park,” Hutchings said. “We wouldn't want them to receive a parking ticket because they didn't pay attention to the signs. Those are relatively new. They started in January. So if you've been in the city for a while, a place where you could have parked, you can no longer park.”

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