RobHowe
Administrator
Iowa Athletics Ends Operation of Hawkeye Express
Train carrying fans to football home games gone after 15 years.
Iowa Athletics Ends Operation of Hawkeye Express
- Thread starter RobHowe
- Start date
Chickenlounge
Well-Known Member
Well that sucks. I never rode it personally, but always thought it was a pretty cool and unique thing for Iowa to have. Maybe Barta should donate his salary to make the necessary repairs/upgrades to keep this thing going. Polish up his tarnished reputation just a bit...
The Hawkeye Express was one of those cool things that made the Kinnick Experience unique, and I always enjoyed pointing it out to visitors. With all the backyard bands being shut down across from the stadium, and nothing special going on pregame in the plaza around Kinnick, there really isn't anything special on game day at this point -- to the point of boring. Barta's lack of imagination re: entertainment really shows through on game days.
More significantly, after the Express started running I noticed a marked decrease in traffic on game day along Melrose Ave. If 3,700 people typically rode the Express, if you figure 2 people per car, that's an additional 1,800+ cars that are going to be crowding the streets around Kinnick looking for parking. And that REALLY sucks. I'll be preparing to leave earlier on game days and be ready for some gnarly traffic delays.
More significantly, after the Express started running I noticed a marked decrease in traffic on game day along Melrose Ave. If 3,700 people typically rode the Express, if you figure 2 people per car, that's an additional 1,800+ cars that are going to be crowding the streets around Kinnick looking for parking. And that REALLY sucks. I'll be preparing to leave earlier on game days and be ready for some gnarly traffic delays.
kicker22
Well-Known Member
I'd also venture to guess that parking costs increase due to increase in demand.
taffaej
Well-Known Member
I have a parking pass so it does not effect me too much and I get the financial part of the decision but dumb ass Barta doesn't realize how crappy the parking is around the stadium. He has some limo come pick his ass up.
We have 6 or 7 people going most games and sense we cannot get everyone in one car, someone has to park down in the lower lots and take the train up. That walk is just to much for some older folks and the youngest fans too.
You know when they started the train, it was just a neat thing, the second year into it... it was.. wow this is a lot of fun. Fifteen years into it means it is a tradition and people come for the train and want it to be a part of the experience. Count on Barta to continue ruining the game day experience like he has been doing.
We have 6 or 7 people going most games and sense we cannot get everyone in one car, someone has to park down in the lower lots and take the train up. That walk is just to much for some older folks and the youngest fans too.
You know when they started the train, it was just a neat thing, the second year into it... it was.. wow this is a lot of fun. Fifteen years into it means it is a tradition and people come for the train and want it to be a part of the experience. Count on Barta to continue ruining the game day experience like he has been doing.
MikeyLikesIowa
Well-Known Member
I've been a spoiled fan. I don't know any other way to park and get to the game other than taking the Hawkeye Express. It made going to games so much easier. As long as you were parked in Coralville reasonably early, you didn't need to worry about finding a decent parking spot and walking few miles to get to the game on time .
Drakebulldog93
Well-Known Member
The Hawkeye Express was awesome. Great place to tailgate. Easy to get to the stadium. Too many tailgating and parking areas gone in the last 10-12 years. Who remembers Olive Court and the Myrtle Hill parking? They were a blast.
Fryowa
Administrator
This. Every game since my son started going with me we parked at the mall, went to ihop for food, and grabbed the train to the stadium. Zero issues with parking, and by the time you got back to the mall parking lot traffic was thinned out enough that getting out of town was an absolute breeze. F Barta and his lame-ass ideas.
A tenth of his lawsuit liabilities could’ve kept the train running another decade.
Ree4
Well-Known Member
I've ridden the train a few times for my kids to enjoy, but since I live in NE IC it makes no sense for me to drive out to Coralville to do it regularly. I always end up either taking an uber or parking downtown in a ramp for free and walking up. It's about a 15 minute walk (mostly uphill) and it's good exercise carrying a case of beer. Allows me to get a little thirsty!
Whenever people are looking for things to do at Iowa games, the train is one of the first things to be mentioned. Hopefully it's not a permanent shut down, but a temporary result of the continued social distance measures.
Whenever people are looking for things to do at Iowa games, the train is one of the first things to be mentioned. Hopefully it's not a permanent shut down, but a temporary result of the continued social distance measures.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Well said. Though the Hawkeye Express is relatively new, it was a throwback to the time when my grandparents used to take the train to IC for games. My granddad used to talk about that all the time and he said after the Great War taking the train from the hinterlands of Iowa to Iowa City to watch a game was one of the highlights of living in Iowa back in the late '40's and early '50's.
The incremental degradation of tailgating around Kinnick in the past 20 years is such a shame. Part of it is obviously urban growth that has taken a lot of prime spots off the map, but a huge part is also the school and cops incrementally making changes. It's not what it once was and it ain't coming back.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
Not that you would ever need this, but I heard that if you rode the train it got you safely beyond the perimeter of where the cops established their random DUI checkpoints.
Northside Hawk
Well-Known Member
There was a high school girls powerhouse near Iowa City back in the day (perhaps Marengo or West Branch) that was so steeped in tradition that they would still take Highway 6 to the state tournament in Des Moines instead of Interstate 80 as recently as the seventies.
Or at least until 6 and 80 became one and the same west of Grinnell. I could envision a caravan of honking cars behind the team bus, Hickory style, and perhaps that's why they did it. Less of a traffic hazard on the back roads.
Ree4
Well-Known Member
Hmm, can't say that I've ever seen on of those - maybe out toward Finkbine/University Heights? I never go that way so I'm not sure. Yeah, cabs or uber are always my route if I've had a few.
okeefe4prez
Well-Known Member
They rotated spots, but I saw them a few times on that main road through UH and they would siphon every 10th car or whatever into the church parking lot right before you get to Finkbine.
MikeyLikesIowa
Well-Known Member
I don't think this will affect anything, but a petition has been started to bring back the Hawkeye Express. I have already signed it.
