It’s not surprising that the news from the Gov’s budget address generating the most response in the neighborhoods surrounding Geddes is her plan to increase prices at the New York State Fair. Contrary to the view expressed by one lunkhead who trashed the Fair in a letter to the Post-Standard, local folks love it and express their intense interest and strong opinions without prompting.

Last year’s $3 admission seemed artificially low, so doubling up to six bucks is no big deal. Considering all you get inside the gates without spending another dime, it’s a tremendous bargain and would be even at a higher price.

Parking has been $5 for many years, so an increase doesn’t seem unreasonable, though twice the old price is a bit of a jolt. In order to make it worth the cost, the State Fair brain trust has to improve the parking experience for customers. It’s a process that has been begging for an upgrade for decades.

The first thing they should do is improve efficiency of the parking staff to expedite the flow of incoming traffic. Too often lines filing into the lots are unnecessarily slow, sometimes painfully slow, as too many attendants just stand around instead of hustling to process cars. While we shouldn’t be too tough on the generally-young folks who hold down those 13-day jobs in the lots, a little supervision and organization would certainly be in order. There needs to be a little more urgency and greater focus on customer service.

For $10, patrons have a right to expect expeditious processing, which may include more EZ Pass lanes. And they should discontinue the ridiculous no-cash policy, which can also cause delays when  technology glitches slow things down.

The massive brown lot is in poor condition as it floods extensively in rainy weather, while it becomes a dust bowl when it’s hot and dry. The additional revenue from the price increase could be put to use smoothing things out, literally.

You would expect that Centro would see an increase in ridership for State Fair shuttles, but their current driver shortage may strain the process, negating any possible benefit. The Hound still thinks rail service would be a terrific option (Slow Roll, 9/15/19), but it doesn’t seem to be in the plans.

When you come down to it, increases in fees for vendors and exhibitors will likely have the most impact on enjoyment of the Fair as some businesses may not return, deciding the cost is too high, while others will hike prices for Fair customers.