Cincinnati (April 2, 2012) – A new season of baseball in Cincinnati begins on April 5th, with big news: the completion of The Banks Garage means more close-in parking spaces at lower game day rates than ever before.

The Cincinnati Reds open the 2012 season versus the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park (GABP), with the first pitch at 4:10 p.m. The sellout crowd coming to the game is in for a welcome surprise: nearly 6,000 convenient, affordable parking spaces within easy walking distance of the stadium.

Parking spaces in The Banks Garage that are within two blocks of GABP are now $10 on game days, down from $12 last year, while rates closer to the stadium have been reduced from $14 to $12. Pricing for spaces closest to the stadium and the Reds Hall of Fame Gift Shop & Museum remains the same at $17 for non-season ticket holders.

Access to The Banks Garage is also better than ever, with new entrances on Pete Rose Way West and Race Street, along with several entrances along Mehring Way, which parallels the Ohio River.

The rate reductions for 2012 are the result of a collaborative decision involving the Hamilton County Commission, Central Parking, and the Reds, said Christian Sigman, Hamilton County
Administrator. "The garage partners -- the County, Central Parking and the Reds -- agreed that reducing rates made a lot of sense in the current economic environment. We all wanted to provide Reds fans with an affordable option for convenient and safe parking."

Reds Chief Operating Officer Phil Castellini believes the opening of the new garage entrances is a plus for baseball fans. “In previous years, while The Banks Development was under construction, getting into and out of The Banks Garage was a challenge,” Castellini said. “Now, with the garage construction completed, there are more safe parking spaces available, closer to the ball park with better access from more traffic routes.”

Click here for the diagram that indicates the garage entrances where new parking rates apply.