‘Anticipating chaos’: Stadium construction likely to mean traffic and parking woes for Bills games

That’s not all he’s doing to prepare for the problems he thinks will be created by construction of the new stadium.

“I’ve hired additional help with traffic control, because I am anticipating chaos,” Lester said.

It may not be chaos Saturday, but it will be a busy day in the Southtowns, with the Buffalo Bills playing their first preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts on Kids Day in Orchard Park while a few miles away, the fourth day of the Erie County Fair in Hamburg will be attracting thousands of other people.

There may be some confusion about parking, with construction of the new stadium taking up the lot where RVs, Bills staff, buses and limousines parked.

Lester is not the only one predicting trouble around the stadium because construction has gobbled up some parking, but the Bills say there will be enough parking.

“The number of parking spaces, really from last year to this year for cars, is really about the same,” said Andy Major, vice president of operations and guest experience for the Bills. “That might change in year two and three of the project.”

That’s because the Bills are opening up Lot 2, where nearly 3,000 Bills staff parked on game days, to fan parking, he said.

“Game day staff are going to park at the ECC campus in an area that’s never been for parking before,” Major said.

Orchard Park Town Board members said there is not a groundswell of concern about parking, although one board member is concerned.

“Where are these people going to go?” said Orchard Park Council Member Conor Flynn, who advocates licensing residents who park cars on their property just as the town licenses commercial lots.

“Right now it’s been pretty quiet,” Supervisor Gene Majchrzak said. “It may change after the first home game and people get a flavor as to what it’s…