From: Office of the Mayor

Daniel Williams, Director of Media Relations Office of the Mayor 216-664-4011

Daniel Ball, Assistant Director of Media Relations Office of the Mayor 216-664-3691

For Immediate Release October 13, 2016

City of and Downtown Partners Ready to “Rally

Together” for American League Championship Series

CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Indians continue their postseason run this Friday at against the Toronto Blue Jays for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. As Clevelanders and fans all of the world cheer on our beloved Indians and begin to make their way to Cleveland the city, businesses, residents, and fans and ready to “Rally Together” to host Games 1 and 2. The first game of the American League Championship Series featuring the Toronto Blue Jays and Cleveland Indians begins on Friday, October 14 at 8:08 p.m. with gates opening at 6:00 p.m. The start time of the game combined with expected large crowds and the evening commute will cause delays. In order to improve traffic flow, the Division of Police will be implementing “NO PARKING” designations in the following areas on both sides of the listed street:  Prospect Avenue from Ontario Street to East14th Street  Huron Road from Ontario Street to Prospect Avenue.  Bolivar Road from East 9th Street to East 14th Street  Carnegie Avenue from East 9th Street to East 14th Street  East 9th Street from Superior Avenue to Carnegie Avenue  East 4th Street from Huron Road to Prospect Avenue

In addition to Game 1 of the ALCS, the Cleveland Monsters will open their 2016-2017 season on Friday, October 14, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena against the Rockford IceHogs at 5:00 pm. The Monsters will be holding their Opening Weekend Championship Celebration, click here to see a list of the Monsters Championship festivities. Please be aware of this event and others in the downtown area if you are planning to be in the Downtown area. The City of Cleveland and Division of Police offer the following tips to make your experience more enjoyable.

-more-

Presidential visit may cause delays on Friday morning. President of the United Sates Barack Obama will be visiting Burke Lakefront Airport on Friday, October 14 at 8:30 am to hold a political rally. While the visit will be completed before Game 1 of ALCS, there will be some street closures that may cause traffic delays in the morning. View those street closures here. Be cautious of counterfeit tickets. As the Cleveland Indians advance further in the postseason, the risk of purchasing counterfeit tickets from individuals selling on the street increases. Fans who purchase tickets from a secondary source are taking a chance. Tickets for Games 1 and 2 of the American League Championship Series on Friday and Saturday are sold out, but purchasing from other sources besides Indians.com is done at the buyer’s risk. Police officers want to proactively curb such activity and encourage buyers to be aware. Purchasing via other means creates the potential for possessing either an invalid or counterfeit ticket. The Indians are not responsible for tickets purchased through secondary sources. Arrive early, stay late. In order to ensure that you arrive at your destination without missing a second of the action, plan your commute beforehand and allow yourself extra travel time. There are plenty of great places to eat and enjoy the City of Cleveland nightlife after the game. Visit http://www.downtowncleveland.com/play for a list of options. If you see something suspicious, say something. Report any suspicious activity to safety officials. Ride RTA. The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) is beefing up its service to fans coming Downtown Friday and Saturday for the American League Championship Series (ALCS), Cleveland Indians vs the Toronto Blue Jays. The Walkway Each day, the Walkway from the Tower City Station opens four hours before the first pitch.  Friday: 4 p.m. for the 8:08 p.m. game.  Saturday: noon for the 4:08 p.m. game. Rail service Customers can be assured that the Blue, Green and Red lines will get you to the ballgame on time and will be there to get you home up to 60 minutes after the game ends -- even if a baseball game goes into extra innings. -more-

RTA staff will be on hand to sell $5 Round-Trip Tickets at major stations. These passes help customers board more quickly, especially when the game ends. Many Rapid stations offer free parking. Please follow the signs and park legally. What's next door? The Calder Cup champion Monsters open their season at Quicken Loans Arena. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14, and 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. Fans can access the Q from the Tower City Station through the Walkway. Need help planning your trip to the game? Use RTA's on-line trip planner, or Review the rail timetables, or Call the RTAnswerline, 216-621-9500. The Bureau of Traffic will supplement their customary allotment of traffic enforcement officers with additional police officers and traffic controllers to facilitate traffic into and out of downtown and to assist with pedestrian traffic. Numerous officers will be detailed to the area during the event for added security and crowd control. The Department of Transportation would like to encourage everyone to download the OHGO app from the Ohio Department of Transportation to see real-time traffic speeds, hundreds of live traffic cameras, and travel delay times. Users can also set up custom traffic alerts.

###