Fresno State students received multiple emails over the course of the week from Traffic Operations, reminding them of parking lot and road closures for Friday’s sold-out football game against Boise State.
Parking lot Q on the west side of campus on Barstow Avenue will only be open for season ticket holders to park. The Save Mart Center’s north lot will be open for overflow parking and traffic control officers will be in place to direct drivers.
Given that the game starts at 6 p.m. and occurs on a Friday instead of a Saturday, officers have to manage incoming game traffic and have the responsibility of helping students, staff and faculty leave campus, said Amy Armstrong, the parking administrator for traffic operations.
Armstrong said that the main goal is to keep vehicles moving safely and to avoid any accidents.
“The important thing for people to remember is to try not to be in a rush, know ahead of time what you can and cannot bring into the stadium, be aware of your surroundings and make good decisions,” Armstrong said.
Armstrong said that students with their semester parking passes who are attending the game do not need to worry about paying for parking – as long as their permits are appropriately displayed.
The east side of campus will have parking available for single-game ticketholders near the Smittcamp Alumni House, as well as lots A and J, for $10 per car, Armstrong said.
“A shuttle will be running from the east side of campus, near the intersection of Woodrow and Shaw [avenues], and taking people to the intersection of Barstow and Cedar Avenues,” Armstrong said.
On the west side of campus, Armstrong said the grass areas around the stadium and the kinesiology field will also be parking for season ticket holders.
Armstrong said that a variety of personnel will be working together to manage traffic, including 17 traffic control officers, university police, the Fresno Police Department and an additional security company. Volunteers from the campus Air Force ROTC class will also assist in traffic control.
Officers will also be stationed along Shaw Avenue from Woodrow Avenue to Cedar Avenue, as well as in the intersection of Cedar and Barstow avenues, to ensure that only buses are using the bus lane.
Armstrong said students need to be aware and plan accordingly so that traffic will not be as congested.
In addition, signs will be posted along Barstow Avenue to ensure that people know that at 2 p.m. only one-way traffic toward Cedar Avenue will be allowed.
Armstrong said that she has worked with local media outlets to get the traffic advisory information out to ensure the safety of everyone attending the game or leaving campus.
“I’ve also networked with Fresno and Clovis police departments to get the word out,” she said.