Dozens Trapped For Hours in Providence Place Mall Parking Garage

I cannot think of a worse place to be trapped for hours than in an enclosed parking garage with dozens of car engines running.

It happened to folks attempting to leave the Providence Place parking garage on a recent Saturday evening.

Many parking facilities at large venues require payment on the way in to avoid congestion as the lot clears out. Since everyone has already paid, traffic flows out of the garage.

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When leaving the Providence Place parking garage, everyone must stop to insert a ticket into a kiosk to lift the gate arm. It slows things down considerably.

My wife and I were stuck in traffic congestion inside the Providence Place garage several years ago after seeing a concert at the Amica Mutual Pavilion. It was hell.

People become impatient, and before you know it, they lean on their car horns and start yelling at each other. It's not much fun in an enclosed concrete garage.

Providence TV station WPRI-12 reported mall officials plan changes.

Attorney John Dorsey, overseeing the mall which is currently in receivership, told the station "a combination of large-scale events" led to the traffic jam that kept some stuck for several hours earlier this month.

Dorsey said approximately 8,500 parking tickets were pulled that Saturday.

READ MORE: Providence Place Enacts "Code of Behavior"

The mall is reportedly "evaluating parking management services through a competitive bidding process, making various upgrades," and is considering hiring a traffic consultant.

As WBSM reported last fall, Providence Place is increasing security and addressing the "obsolete" parking garage.

Mall officials recently introduced an updated code of behavior for mall visitors.