It might be hard to remember while seething on South College Street in game day traffic that traffic means tourism — and tourism greatly benefits the Loveliest Village on the Plains, according to Penny Smith, finance director for the City of Auburn.
According to Smith, home games cause increased sales within the city in numerous ways.
“We see increased sales tax from purchases within the city, both for restaurants and for goods, like game day paraphernalia and that kind of thing," Smith said. "We also have lodging taxes for hotel stays within the city limits … and then of course the sales of the actual tickets to the game produce a sales tax also. Those are the biggest pluses for us from a financial standpoint.”
Smith also said the increase in sales is “hard to quantify” because of a variety of factors surrounding the game, but Auburn University home football games benefit the city.
“But definitely, we do see increased sales and it’s very good for the City of Auburn,” Smith said.
Capt Tommy Carswell of the administrative/Auburn University relations division of the Auburn Police Division said traffic is more visible in a smaller city such as Auburn.
“We do have more traffic on a ball game day, as you know — as anybody would," Carswell said. "A town our size doesn’t absorb football game traffic as well as a city like Atlanta … it’s really apparent here.”
However, Carswell also said the traffic routes published by Auburn athletics online, along with extra officers directing traffic have improved the situation.
“We have roads set up, we have extra people directing traffic, extra officers directing traffic and working ball games, and we’ve probably reduced post-game traffic problems at least by an hour over the last couple of years," Carswell said. "So games that we might be out there for two hours after a ball game directing traffic for, now we’re out there one hour.”
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