Cardinals partner with Fisk Limo on shuttle service

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Springfield Cardinals balk at parking fee hike

With the end of its 2019 season in sight, the Springfield Cardinals are addressing parking issues through a partnership with J. Howard Fisk Limousines Inc.

A free shuttle service between Hammons Field and Ozarks Technical Community College starts with tonight’s game against the Frisco Roughriders. It continues through Sept. 2, when the Cardinals’ last game of the season is scheduled, according to a news release.

The partnership with Fisk Limousines comes after the Cardinals called out New York-based JD Holdings LLC for raising prices for parking lots near Hammons Field, Springfield Business Journal previously reported. Plaza Realty & Management manages a lot across the street and the Jordan Valley Car Park, which is near the Springfield Expo Center; fees at both parking areas recently were increased to $20 from $14 on opening day.

"When we first heard of the outrageous parking rate increases, we promised fans we would work on finding solutions that are beneficial for them," said Dan Reiter, vice president and general manager of the Double-A Springfield Cardinals, in the release. "We didn't want to wait until next season to debut this service and hope fans utilize it these last eight home games this season."

Reiter declined to disclose financial terms of the deal with Fisk Limousines. In an email, he added the team “will be evaluating the usage and need by fans before making plans for 2020.”

The shuttle will pick up Cardinals fans at OTC, which is offering free parking for games at Hammons Field. A return shuttle will take them to their vehicles after the game.

Reiter said the team is projecting attendance of roughly 327,500 for the 2019 season, with an average of 4,746 people per game. Last year, average home game attendance was roughly 4,900.

“Our walk-ups this year have been down all year compared to previous seasons, which has led to a slight dip in overall attendance average,” he said via email. “With all other performance metrics trending up, we do attribute the drop in walk-up sales to the increased parking fees by JD Holdings LLC and Plaza Realty & Management.”