Marlins park is "very walkable," MLB rankings say. The reality is not so rosy.
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loanDepot park in 2020. Photo: Mark Brown/Getty Images)
It's Opening Day for the Miami Marlins, and if you're like most baseball fans, you'll be stuck in rush hour traffic trying to make the 4:10pm game.
- But a new report suggests the stadium is walkable enough to ditch your car — though the real-world logistics of that would make most locals dubious.
Driving the news: loanDepot park ranked seventh in walkability among all Major League Baseball stadiums, according to the digital platform Walk Score.
- The Little Havana ballpark got an 89 out of 100 in walkability and a 57 transit score.
- Walk Score says the stadium is "very walkable" and only a 24-minute hike from the closest Metrorail station (Culmer.)
Yes, but: Walking 24 minutes in Miami is not the same as walking 24 minutes in New York or D.C.
- The route has limited shade and pedestrians have to walk along busy roads and deal with our infamously awful drivers.
- Miamians who live away from transit corridors would still need a car or an Uber to get to nearby transit stations, like MiamiCentral, which is two miles away.
How it works: Walk Score rates walkability based on pedestrian friendliness and proximity to amenities. Population density and road metrics are also considered.
- A score of 69 or above does not require a car and reflects how easy it is to walk to a location or use public transportation. A "walker's paradise" is a score of 90 or above.
How to get there: The Metrorail has two stops about a mile from the stadium: Culmer and Civic Center.
- The Tri Rail and Brightline both stop at MiamiCentral Station, but Tri-Rail passengers would likely need a rideshare for the two-mile trip to the stadium. (The Marlins have a "Home Runner" partnership with Brightline to offer roundtrip shuttles.)
- The Metrobus and the free Miami Trolley also service the stadium, the team says on its transportation page.
Our thought bubble: Sommer and Martin think this is wild and guess the writers of this report have never tried walking a few miles in Miami.
If you go: Tickets $17+.