Attachments for Community Services Sub-committee September 11, 2014

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1 Attachments for Community Services Sub-committee September 11, 2014

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3 DRAFT - CDX 2015 PARKING PLAN: (THE CHALLENGE - THE GOAL) Parking capacity and overall traffic flow within the parking lot and adjacent streets has been the single biggest challenge to overcome during the ever expanding Canadian Dairy XPO (CDX) in Stratford, Ontario. CDX has heard loud and clear from both valued exhibitors and attendees, that if the parking issue is not resolved for CDX 2015, it will be detrimental to the longevity of the event in Stratford, Ontario. We heard several stories post CDX 2014 about farmers turning around and going home after waiting over an hour on McCarthy Rd. and in some cases driving hours to get to Stratford before that. We need to earn their respect and goodwill back! For CDX 2015, CDX has made a commitment to attendees (farmers) that if we can t park them onsite, then their admission to CDX is FREE. Both the City of Stratford (facility management) and CDX management fully understand that the parking capacity of the complex is not nearly adequate for a national scale event such as CDX. In addition, it should be noted that the interior of the facility (when used in its entirety, such CDX 2014) can handle crowds of per day with safe and comfortable crowd flow. Both parties understand that the parking capacity challenge is a joint issue and have agreed to work together to overcome and turn this into a positive for all involved in CDX 2015 and beyond. (CAPACITY OVERVIEW) The 2014 XPO drew nearly 14,000 people over the 2-days with a fairly even spread in attendance each day. In 2014, between the main facility paved parking and a 5 acre portion of the lower parking lot, CDX parked approx cars at any one given time. This was a combination of exhibitor and attendee parking and occupied approx. 20 acres in total. With maximum exhibitor numbers of 350 companies and annual attendance growth of 15-20% annually, it is estimated that CDX 2015 will require onsite parking for approx cars at anyone given time. This translates to approx acres of parking of the total 60 acres of available parking for This total number of cars can be reduced by approx. 200 cars if shuttle busses are implemented to and from major hotels in the City, allowing exhibitors to leave their cars in the hotel parking lot during operating hours of CDX. With continued out of province and out of country growth in attendance, it is believed that CDX attendance will cap out in 3 or 4 years from now at 22,000 25,000 people over 2-days. This would maximize the 60 acres of total parking. Out of professional courtesy, CDX desires to park AM exhibitor cars behind the complex in the adjacent farm field and the farmers (customers) in the main parking lot of the complex, close to complex entrances.

4 (PARKING SCHEDULE) ***please refer to diagram above CDX has been granted permission by the City of Stratford to utilize the approx. 25 acre lower site, where the old fair facility was removed. In addition, CDX has signed a land rental agreement with the Van Straaten family to utilize the approx. 20 acre agricultural field to the west of the complex. Parking security will again be hired and dramatically ramped up to keep cars efficiently moving off the road and within the parking lots. With more than adequate parking for 2015, CDX plans to stake all parking rows, but not individually park each car. Aside from increased parking capacity, having an entrance on both the north side of the complex (off McCarthy Rd.) and on the south side (off Britannia St.) will significantly increase the speed at which cars can flow off the road and into parking lots, with minimal disturbance to local Stratford residence. Note: It will be difficult to prevent cars from parking on either side of McCarthy Rd., but with police presence, we hope to limit this to only west of the complex on either side of McCarthy Rd. (new residential development area). Daily Parking Schedule 7:00am 9:00am; Parking lot Entrance 1 and Entrance 3 closed to all car traffic. Entrance 2 open for all traffic during this time period (FYI 80% exhibitor car traffic and 20% farmer traffic coming early for comp pancake breakfast). Shuttle huts will be strategically placed throughout parking lot and (4) passenger shuttle busses will be utilized to pick up and drop exhibitors at each of the 2 complex entrances. For those exhibitors wishing to walk from the parking lot, entrances through 2 of the connecting tunnel tents will be open and manned (during this time period only) to allow exhibitors efficient access into the complex before the XPO begins each morning. Exhibitor supply drop off areas will be considered in this parking lot as well, for those exhibitors that have larger items to carry into their exhibit (i.e. boxes of brochures etc.). During this time period, it is recommended that 4 city busses pick up at both the Arden Park and Festival Inn at 8am (one trip each). Shuttle times advertised in exhibitor manuals and in each hotel lobby/front desk. 9:00am 2:00pm; Parking lot Entrance 2 is closed and attendee traffic is fed in both Entrance 1 and Entrance 3 to the middle of the parking lot and then back filled North towards McCarthy Rd and South towards Britannia St. Shuttle huts will be strategically placed throughout parking lot and (6) passenger shuttle busses will be utilized to pick-up and drop attendees evenly between the 2 complex entrances. 2:00pm 4:00pm; Overflow parking if required, re-open parking Entrance 2 and park in the remaining space that was not filled during the AM. This will be done, only if required. 4:00pm 5:00pm; 2 shuttles servicing exhibitor parking and 4 shuttles servicing attendee parking. Pick-up at both complex entrances and dropping at shuttle huts within the parking lots. 4 City busses to return (2 at each complex entrance) and at 4:30pm take exhibitors back to the Festival Inn and Arden Park. (first night of CDX only) 5:00pm 7:30pm; 4 shuttles running during CheeseFEST to and from both exhibitor and attendee parking lots. 2 City busses to pick-up exhibitors that attended CheeseFEST at 7:00pm and make one trip each, dropping at both the Arden Park and Festival Inn. Shuttle times advertised in exhibitor manuals, at CheeseFEST and in each hotel lobby/front desk. (BUDGET/SITE UPGRADES/ALLOCATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES) It should be noted, that typically when an event manager rents a facility the parking capacity is adequate and the facility solely manages this aspect, so the event managers can concentrate their efforts on running the actual trade show and associated programming. CDX is concerned about the unbudgeted costs and manpower to execute this parking effort. It should also be noted that CDX is recommending they do not receive the $5,000 Community Fund Grant (as received in both 2013 and 2014) from the City of Stratford and these funds go directly towards offsetting City of Stratford (COS) expenses as described below. Snow service of main and lower parking lot (40 acres, starting days before CDX & during) 3-4 OPP hire (optimal street/intersection locations TBD) Gravel (use existing stone grind) 35ft wide laneway from main paved parking lot to Britannia Rd. Remove centre fence in lower parking Remove fence around lower parking ball diamond Move playground, bleachers and other obstructions to the outside perimeter of the field Parking lot hut rental (8-10 required) Road barricades for parking lot entrances Hotel pick-up and drop City busses Snow service manpower/farm field (20 acres total, starting days before CDX and during) $3,200

5 Extra equipment rental for snow service in farm field (2 dedicated machines for 3 weeks) $4,500 Diesel usage for snow service extra equipment $650 T-rail staking and roping (25 acre lower parking and 20 acre farm field) $1,500 Security hire (15+ guards at $21/hr) $5,900 Shuttle rental (6, passenger busses $590 per) $7,080 Parking plan advertising in Ontario Farmer, Stratford paper, hotels etc. $3,800 Parking lot manager and associated support staff $2,000 Additional liability insurance premium on additional land used $800 Upper farm field rental fee from Van Straaten Farms $1,000 Additional signage required $3,500 $33,930 How can the COS help CDX offset these large unbudgeted parking costs? (PLAN B MILD WEATHER) A mild February in Stratford is unlikely, but not out of the question. With the gravel lane throughway developed in the lower parking, we feel most of this 25 acres can be used for parking in mild weather. The land is tile drained and a gravel base for the most part. This means the main parking lot and lower parking lot would handle all the attendee traffic. The farm field, planed for exhibitor parking would not work if the weather turned mild. This cannot be predicted until approx days out of the event and at that time a satellite parking lot location at another City owned venue would need to be utilized for exhibitor parking each morning. City bus shuttle service would have to be coordinated and ramped up, if there was a need to utilize a satellite parking lot. (NEXT STEPS?) Jordon Underhill and Logistics Manager Wayne Schmidt meet to discuss parking plan, cost and execution with COS Facility Managers - Jim Bryson and David St. Louis

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