Willow Glen Resident
News
Soccer games could congest neighborhood
By Stephen Baxter
The reinvented San Jose Earthquakes soccer team is coming to Buck Shaw Stadium at Santa Clara University for the first time on May 3, and some neighbors in the Newhall neighborhood are preparing for hundreds of cars and spectators.
Earthquakes officials have contacted some neighborhood leaders in Santa Clara and San Jose near the stadium, and they have crafted a parking plan designed to keep cars off neighborhood streets.
"We feel we have a pretty good plan in place, and we'll be reviewing it for our first few games," said Matt Pellegrino, director of stadium operations for the team.
The stadium's capacity for soccer is roughly 10,500, and the team expects a strong turnout.
Fans are advised to carpool or take Caltrain to the Santa Clara Station, which is about a block from the field. The Valley Transportation Authority's 22 bus line also stops at near the stadium.
There is a parking garage next to the stadium and surface lots on Palm Drive and Franklin Street on the university campus. There are also spaces outside the Leavey Center on the corner of El Camino Real and Bellomy Street, and outside Loyola Hall at 425 El Camino Real in Santa Clara.
Parking lots near Roxio Inc. at 455 El Camino Real also will open roughly 775 spaces to fans across from Buck Shaw.
Around 5 p.m. on May 3, Earthquakes officials plan to station parking monitors at the stoplight at Lafayette Street and El Camino Real who will direct people not to park in the neighborhood.
Because there are not enough parking spaces on campus to accommodate soccer fans, San Jose's Newhall Neighborhood Association had expressed concerns about traffic in an April 4 message to members.
John Urban, president of the association, and three other board members did not return calls for comment.
Team officials added that they are setting up a hotline and e-mail address to gather residents' feedback on game-day congestion.
The Earthquakes are scheduled to play 13 games at Buck Shaw in its 2008 season, starting with opponent FC Dallas on May 3.
