KANSAS CITY, MO — After some of the transportation woes before and after the first World Cup match at Kansas City Stadium, fans are looking at all options for the remaining five matches.
I saw an ad on Facebook from Avenue Auto Wrecking on Manchester Trafficway, offering parking spots for as low as fifty dollars.
The ads have detailed photos showcasing what to expect if you choose to park there.
The lot is a family-owned salvage yard that specializes in European vehicles, and it has been in business for more than 60 years in Kansas City.
The owner told me that he’s been preparing for the World Cup for months, and even scrapped about 150 vehicles on his lot to make room for people to park.
“We spent about three months preparing for this whole event, and getting our lot set up,” Wren Sleyster said. “It's secure, it's concreted, it's gated, it's lighted, it's insured.”
"You'll check in at our main office, and then we have an entrance that someone will take you and put you into a spot, which we've got 137 pre-marked spots out there in the yard, and then we also have an additional 40 to 45 out front of the building if we overfill,” Sleyster told me. “We have handicap accessibility. We have a shuttle waiting area that's covered, and also lit at night.”
Sleyster told me that on the day of the first match, someone posted a sign in a nearby vacant lot that his family also owns and advertised parking for a lower rate. He had to spend part of the day working to get those people removed.
Sleyster also told me that they didn't get as many customers on Tuesday as they hope to get on Saturday when Ecuador takes on Curacao.
The shuttle from Avenue Auto Wrecking to Kansas City Stadium is $20 round trip, or $10 one-way.
Customers can also walk just under two and a half miles to the stadium, and Sleyster says that walk takes just under an hour.
Avenue Auto Wrecking is charging $50 for the first 50 cars, and $60 after that.
