MILWAUKEE — No one knows the roads around American Family Field quite like Joe Janz, a shuttle bus driver for Magoo's on the Mound.
"Round-trip is nine minutes. With traffic like this, it's always perfect, you know," said Janz.
He grew up in this neighborhood.
"On the other side of the cemetery," he says. "And people used to walk."
Janz has been shuttling fans to and from Brewers games for the past 20 years. He said on opening day, Bluemound Road is filled with excitement and vibrant energy.
"It's nice going down that hill, smelling the brats and the grills, and opening day is different from all the rest of the games," said Janz. "It should be a national holiday. It's one of the top days of the year."
But as a driver, he has also seen traffic slow down that excitement heading into the ballpark.
"In and out is a little tough sometimes, and they have a new system this year with the license plates," said Janz.
To help get fans into the parking lots quickly and enjoy more time tailgating, this year the Brewers organization is using new state-of-the-art technology. There are no longer cashiers when you drive up to the lot. Instead, drivers will pay for parking by either prepaying using the MLB app, scanning QR codes posted on light posts, or by using one of four payment kiosks located around the park.
"They'll be parking attendance and ambassadors to help you get to the spot that you want to get to, and then you just scan enter your information and away you go," said Jason Hartlund, Milwaukee Brewers Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer.
If you prepay for parking using the MLB app, you'll then enter your license plate number and hit activate. License plate readers and staff will then identify those who have not paid 30 minutes before the first pitch.
"The technology is amazing. There are cameras throughout the parking lot that have license plate techonology and it reconciles in real time as to people who have entered the lots and those who have activated their parking," said Hartlund.
The Brewers partnered with Milwaukee-based Interstate Parking on the technology. According to president and CEO Tony Janowiec, the Brewers are the first professional baseball team to implement this technology.
"Fans will be able to arrive much faster because they will no longer wait at a cashier line, which sometimes can take thirty to forty five minutes," said Tony Janowiec, Interstate Parking President & CEO.
During the home opener, it will be all hands on deck to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible. Joe says if it can cut down the time fans are sitting in traffic, then it's a win-win.
"If we don't have to put up with that, it'll be great with it for the fans. It will be great for everybody," said Janz.
Fans are encouraged to arrive early. There are a list of bars and restaurants that do offer shuttle service located on Bluemound. A shuttle ride at Magoo's On The Mound costs $1.00.
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