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View Full Version : u2 in Raleigh Saturday night


DevilWolf
10-04-2009, 09:12 PM
Anyone else go? Thought it was an amazing show.
OZZIE4DUKE
10-04-2009, 09:21 PM
Anyone else go? Thought it was an amazing show.
The traffic jam was amazing. I'm glad I avoided it on the way home from our game and post game Brunchgate!
allenmurray
10-04-2009, 10:26 PM
The traffic jam was amazing. I'm glad I avoided it on the way home from our game and post game Brunchgate!

After the game I took wolfpackdevil to Smithfield to go shopping (Nike outlet stores are great when your kid wears a size 15 shoe). We were passing back through Raleigh on our way back to Durham about 8:15. I was amazed at the traffic.
YourLandlord
10-05-2009, 10:28 AM
I was amazed at the traffic.

It's always like that for that goofy venue. Their traffic flow is awful.
allenmurray
10-05-2009, 10:34 AM
It's always like that for that goofy venue. Their traffic flow is awful.

I agree, it is. On the other hand I think we also saw a bit of poor planning. It wasn't that backed up a couple of years ago when I went to a night time (sold out) NCSU football game on the same night as the state fair.
DevilWolf
10-05-2009, 10:43 AM
I'm not sure I'd blame the venue either or the traffic flow. Coming from Wallace Wade, traffic was backed up starting at I-540. The first blue light I saw was at the top of the ramp getting onto Blue Ridge Road. Edwards Mill had two parking officials waving cars away if they didn't have a handicap pass.

The highway patrol presence was pathetic, and their response to blame the concert goers for "all trying to go to the concert at the same time" was a joke. Did you want them to attend in shifts?

All of that aside, I missed Muse completely but made it in time for U2. I'm not even that big of a U2 fan and I went just for the "I can say I saw U2 in concert" factor. It will be one of the most memorable 3 hours of my life however - those guys can entertain like no other.
YourLandlord
10-05-2009, 10:51 AM
I'm not sure I'd blame the venue either or the traffic flow.

They chose to locate it there. Should have been somewhere with better access.
allenmurray
10-05-2009, 10:59 AM
The highway patrol presence was pathetic, and their response to blame the concert goers for "all trying to go to the concert at the same time" was a joke.

That is a legitimate difference between a concert and the football/state fair experience, where people do arrive at differring times. However, it is a difference that should have been anticipated.


They chose to locate it there. Should have been somewhere with better access.

There are not a lot of other venue options of that size in the triangle.
YourLandlord
10-05-2009, 11:01 AM
There are not a lot of other venue options of that size in the trinagle. Exactly two (NCSU and UNC). When I saw Springsteen a few years ago at Kenan stadium everyone parked at large parking lots off campus (the local mall, some of the park and ride lots, etc. and took shuttle busses in. It was well organized and worked really well.

No, I mean they shouldn't have built the facility there to begin with, in a place with such poor access.
allenmurray
10-05-2009, 11:05 AM
No, I mean they shouldn't have built the facility there to begin with, in a place with such poor access.

Got it, and there you are certainly on to something. But actually, there is a good bit of land there, so it lent itself well to that kind of facility. I think the problem is more with poor planning for the access. That site could handle the trafffic flow if the folks who did the highway planning had done a better job.
OZZIE4DUKE
10-05-2009, 01:32 PM
I'm not sure I'd blame the venue either or the traffic flow. Coming from Wallace Wade, traffic was backed up starting at I-540.
I didn't leave Brunchgate until 5:45. As I turned onto 40 from 147 (at 65+ mph), the GPS warned me there was a 30 minute delay ahead. I started moving right and got to 540 without delay, although I could see cars slowing down ahead. Worked out for me. I had considered staying on 70 from Durham, but instinctively got on 147 before remembering the alternate route. I could have exited onto Ellis Rd to get to 70 if traffic had been backed up that far.

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