BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Over 250,000 people are expected to visit the Broadway Market during this year's Easter shopping season.
It also means a lot of traffic as people look for parking spaces.
So, where can you park without problems?
According to Kathleen Peterson, Broadway Market manager, definitely not at the Aldi store directly across the street.
"They are ticketing people," said Peterson who said she is getting complaints from Broadway Market shoppers.
7 Eyewitness News has learned that some people parking in the Aldi's lot are having their cars booted by a private towing company called Lightning Towing on Bailey Avenue, Buffalo.
The company is demanding $60 to remove the boot or the vehicle will be stored at its lot.
"I think it is wrong. You have to be a good business neighbor," said Fillmore District Councilman Dave Franczyk.
Matt Schieber from West Seneca said his car was booted even though he planned to shop at Aldi's but took his young daughters to see the Broadway Market Easter bunny first.
"As I was pulling away, there was another young couple that they did the same thing to," said Schieber.
When 7 Eyewitness News went to Lightning Towing to find out more about the towing/booting costs, we were told to "leave the property."
Aldi-US provided the following statement:
The parking lot at our Buffalo, NY, store is available to all ALDI customers while they are currently shopping at our location. The lot is regularly monitored to ensure we have available parking for our customers, and cars that violate our posted parking policy are towed at the owners’ expense. Signage is posted in the parking lot alerting drivers that it is for the use of ALDI customers only.
How to avoid parking problems
The Broadway Market has a 1,000 space parking ramp with three levels directly behind the market. Important: handicap parking is only on the first level as the market does not have an elevator for the upper two floors.
Streets around the Broadway Market have two hour parking.
There are spaces in the Save-a-Lot area on Gibson Street.
Cedarland Development is allowing people to park on its property (the old K-Mart plaza) directly behind the Aldi's store at 998 Broadway.
RELATED CONTENT: Never been to the Broadway Market? Check out 7 things to do there.
