Parking will be scarce for Obama event

TAMPA -- If you're planning on going to the Barack Obama rally on Wednesday, go early, expect to search for parking and don't expect that having a ticket will guarantee you a seat.

Rally organizers say once the St. Pete Times Forum, which holds about 20,000 people, is full, ticket-holders will be turned away. And as of this afternoon, tickets to see the Democratic presidential candidate were going at lightning speed.

Those who get to the Times Forum and can't get in will be able to listen to audio of the speech outside the arena.

City officials say traffic getting into downtown Tampa shouldn't be bad, because doors at the Forum open at 10:30 a.m. for the noon event, well after rush hour.

But parking will be a different story, with downtown workers occupying many of the spaces in nearby garages and lots.

"Folks are gonna have to get creative. They're going to have to take public transportation or be willing to walk," said Irvin Lee, the city's public works manager.

Some options Lee recommended: Park in one of the Ybor City parking garages and take the streetcar to the Times Forum, or park on the north end of downtown near the Marion Street transit station and take a county bus to the venue.

Janet Zink, Times staff writer

A campaign worker, who declined to give her name, sets up a banner in preparation for Wednesday's rally at the St. Pete Times Forum. [Chris Zuppa, Times]