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Facilities

49ers Working To Improve Traffic Flow At Levi's Stadium After Postgame Issues

About half the fans driving home from Sunday's 49ers game at Levi's Stadium "were trapped in their lots for up to two hours as a constant stream of pedestrians and trains blocked their paths," according to Mike Rosenberg of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. 49ers VP/Stadium Operations & Security Jim Mercurio said, "We're going back to the drawing board. It's taking far too long for my liking." But he added, "I got to be honest -- that's one you can't really solve for, when 70,000 people all leave at the same time, but I'm not going to stop until we make it as optimal as we can." Rosenberg notes after two preseason games and a pair of soccer matches, Sunday's game was the "first time the entire crowd in Santa Clara left a 49ers game at once." Those who "rode the rails or parked in outer lots a half-mile or more away from the stadium zipped out." But fans who "parked in two large inner lots along the train tracks saw their frustrations over the team's crushing defeat compounded by gridlock." Fans in the affected lots, which hold about 10,000 vehicles combined next to the stadium, "have exit lanes that cross pedestrian paths and train tracks, with trains leaving every five minutes after the game." That means there were "only small windows for vehicles to exit." Since so many more people "drive than take the train, Mercurio's team will look at slowing down train service, perhaps to every seven or eight minutes, to let more vehicles through, among other potential changes." Meanwhile, on the "bright side, traffic before the game was so smooth that more than 68,500 fans were inside the stadium before the kickoff -- a feat Mercurio can't remember happening in more than 20 years" at Candlestick Park (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 9/16).

INSURANCE FRAUD? In S.F., Matier & Ross noted Blue Shield of California and Dignity Health "each own Levi's Stadium luxury suites, which go for at least" $2.5M each. Dignity, the S.F. outfit formerly known as Catholic Healthcare West, is also the 49ers' "exclusive health-industry sponsor." Dignity is "spending big time to advertise in and around the new Santa Clara stadium as well as on game broadcasts." There even is a "Dignity Health Plaza" at one corner of the stadium. But Nonprofit Consumer Watchdog President Jamie Court said, "It's scandalous that two not-for-profit health care companies that are exempt from state taxes waste millions of dollars on luxury skyboxes rather than putting those charitable dollars toward patient care or lower premiums." Dignity in a statement said it is "sponsoring the first-aid clinics located throughout the facility and will be hosting several special health and wellness events throughout the season." Consumer Watchdog is backing Proposition 45 on the November ballot, which would "require California health care companies to get approval from the state insurance commissioner for rate increases." Prop. 45 supporters "tried to buy advertising at Sunday's game on the Jumbotron at Levi's Stadium to tie Blue Shield's skybox to 'excessive premiums' and tell fans that the health insurer 'has a better view than you.'" But the 49ers "rejected the ad." 49ers Dir of PR Bob Lange said, "We don't sell individual ad space." He added that ad space is "strictly reserved for their media partners" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/14).

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