WINNIPEG – Thousands of blue and gold fans poured into Investors Group Field Monday night for the first Bombers pre-season home game against the Toronto Argonauts.
The air outside the stadium was different for Monday’s pre-season kickoff than the first one at IGF last year, because everyone actually got there in time to see it.
“Much better than last year, ” said one Bomber fan who travelled all the way from Victoria, B.C., to see the game. “Last year we waited an hour, and (the buses) kept going by us.”
“It was really good and really easy, and we didn’t need to worry about parking,” said another fan.
The Bombers unveiled their revamped transportation plan just last week.
Fans are required to pay for the transit ride to the game, and the club takes care of the fare on the way home. Park and Ride service is $5 per person and starts two hours before the game. Those who drive can get a special parking spot for $10 on campus in the carpool lot if there are more than three people in the vehicle.
“Our fans need to get to the stadium and so we’re asking our fans to end up paying a third of the cost. The Winnipeg Football Club will pay the other two-thirds,” Bombers president and CEO Wade Miller told Global News Monday morning.
A proposal that would have seen the Winnipeg Football Club have split the $1.25-million transit cost with the city was punted by the city.
The new plan helped cut down on the major gridlock on the roads leading to the stadium — a different sight from the previous year.
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