$50 Parking? Concerns Over Prices Near Sahlen Field for Savannah Bananas Games

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Savannah Bananas brought the “Banana Ball” to Buffalo this past weekend, taking over Sahlen Field Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But during their visit, many fans were quick to point out the troubling parking prices downtown.

All three games were sold out and fans we spoke to on Friday night said they had a great time.

We have also heard from some fans who have expressed complaints.

In an email to 7 News, one fan complained about the high cost of parking near Sahlen Field for games.

On Friday afternoon, before the first game, two of the parking ramps on Washington Street near the stadium were charging $50.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz fielded off-topic questions after a news conference Monday and was asked about the cost of parking for games.

“I don’t think the city-owned parking spots were $50, but there were private spots that were $50,” Poloncarz said. “This is not the first time this has happened at a major event in our community. The county has no role in this. The city actually sets a standard for the highest amount that can be charged for a parking spot and as long as the property owner doesn’t go over that amount, they can do it.”

The county executive continued to say that it was unfortunate to see landowners taking advantage of locals and out-of-towners, but there are plenty of other parking options available and no one should have had to pay $50.

“It’s not great that the landowners are doing it, but we have so many other parking options and ways to get to the ballpark – like we do for the arena – that if people knew what they were doing, no one would have had to pay $50. They should have been able to park somewhere, walk a little bit, or take the train, and probably not pay more than $5.”

7 News has reached out to the City of Buffalo for comment and is awaiting a response.

In addition to the parking price complaint, 7 News also heard from a fan who expressed frustration with the seating arrangements at the game. He said he bought tickets from StubHub and they did a great job of getting them in, but there weren’t many seats available together, even though they arrived at Sahlen Field about an hour early.

In a statement to 7 News on Saturday, the Bananas said they had contacted the family directly to clear up the confusion and discouraged anyone from purchasing tickets from another site.