Critics predict Barclays Center parking nightmare

The plan to provide the 1,100 parking spaces New York State mandated for the Barclays Center would require hydraulic lifts for stacked parking, the New York Post reported, which likely means huge parking delays and traffic in the Prospect Heights neighborhood.

The square block designated to be the only on-site event parking area until a permanent lot is erected underneath Atlantic Yards is far too small to accommodate the number of parking spaces required by the state. To remedy this problem, Forest City Ratner will have to introduce stacked parking, according to renderings based on approved plans commissioned by civic groups that critique the project.

But the system, which uses lifts to stack cars on top of each other, slows down the entry and exit of cars into the lot, which could create a traffic nightmare. It also excludes the possibility of tree-lined medians, which help absorb heat and storm water, required in permanent lots.

Forest City has not formally spelled out its parking plans for the arena, but a company spokesperson said it recognizes the need to reduce on-site parking in an effort to avoid stacked parking. [Post]