A lockout of transit employees has the city of Moncton getting creative when it comes to shuttling people to and from the Magnetic Hill concert site.
The Canadian rock band Nickelback is set to play the venue on July 7 and the city is using that event to implement a new traffic plan to get music fans to and from the site.
“We're looking at ways to better facilitate people's transportation options, and also the way they get to the concert site,” says Moncton venue manager Shane Porter.
This year a designated drop-off zone has been set up for concertgoers. As usual, there is no parking on the hill, but private parking options are available and bike racks have also been installed.
The biggest change is that an outside company has been brought in to shuttle thousands to and from the hill, because Codiac Transpo employees have been locked out over a contract dispute.
“We've got a third-party provider that's doing the park-and-ride system this year, so we've partnered with them,” says Porter.
A public meeting was held last night to inform residents and business owners near Magnetic Hill of the traffic plan for the upcoming concerts.
Jeff Everett is the co-owner of the Magnetic Hill Winery. He says concerts are good business for them, but any improvements to the overall traffic plan are welcome.
“We try to capitalize on them as much as we can by holding special events here the day of, and doing some parking because we are just a few minutes walk to the venue site itself,” says Everett.
Walking is how Lauren Oickle prefers to get to the concert site.
“Just put on some comfy shoes and walk there,” she says.
Oickle says that walking is often faster than driving, but that’s something the city hopes to change.
It is implementing its new traffic flow plan July 7 when Nickelback takes the stage, and again on August 26 when more than 50,000 Bruce Springsteen fans are expected to flood Magnetic Hill.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
