Event tests traffic plan

Barstow-chestnut intersection got backed up; fans say exit was faster

By Inga Lukaviciute

What was considered to be a test event for the Save Mart Center in regards to parking and traffic has given officials a chance to find ways to improve event-night traffic.

More than 75 officers from Fresno State, Fresno Police, Clovis Police and the California Highway Patrol guided traffic Wednesday night at the Bulldog Basketball Extravaganza, said Gary Beddingfield, parking administrator at the office of parking and transportation at Fresno State.

“ We have more resources than we need tonight to get a feel for what it is going to be like in the future,” said Capt. Martin West of the Fresno Police Department. “We are here because we want for this [event] to go smoothly,” West said.

Beddingfield said the challenge of the evening was the Chestnut-Avenue corridor. People seemed to come on Chestnut, which is a two-lane road, and it got backed up all the way to Bullard Avenue, he said. The traffic on Barstow, Willow and Shaw avenues was not bad, he added.

About 9,800 people attended the event.

Jeanie Mayhue came to the Basketball Extravaganza event with her family. She said there was a lot of traffic from freeway to Chestnut Avenue. She did not have trouble finding a parking spot yet said she was afraid that coming out of the event might be worse with all people leaving at once.

The post-event traffic was not problematic: the event ended a few minutes before 9 p.m., and by 9:30 p.m. the people were gone, Beddingfield said.

Greg and Cindy Pierce came to the event on Wednesday and said they had no problem finding a parking place or getting through traffic.

“ I expected to have problems,” Greg Pierce said, “but I zoomed right in.”

“ The traffic on Chestnut from Bullard was bad,” said Jackie Strave while on her way to the Save Mart Center.

Doris Right, another basketball fan, said she did not have trouble finding a parking spot but is worried she will have a hard time finding her car since she saw no markers in the parking lots.

Fresno State office of parking and transportation had 12 officers working that night, Beddingfield said.

In preparation for the events at the Save Mart Center, an electronic message was sent to all Fresno State students, faculty and staff from the office of parking and transportation. It provided advice about the best ways to park and travel to avoid traffic back-ups and confusion about where to park.

Save Mart Center event attendees were advised to use either Woodrow or Chestnut avenues to access the parking lots. Academic parking should use north or south Maple avenue to access parking lots C, V, B, A, J and the University Business Center’s lot.

The e-mail said: “During the weeknights, on the event night, uniformed parking personnel will be stationed at north and south Maple ave to assist with parking. Save Mart Center parking will be directed to the event center parking areas.”

During the sold-out events at the Save Mart Center, lot V will be opened for the event parking.

California Highway Patrol had six officers watching and guiding traffic on freeway 168, and 22 officers from the Fresno Police Department, along with a number of Save Mart Center and Fresno State Police officers, guided traffic and parking for the estimated crowd of 9,800, Capt. West said.

The officers from the police departments, involved in direction of traffic and parking over the weekend at the Save Mart Center, will meet on Nov. 10. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss issues related with parking and traffic by the Save Mart Center. Any necessary adjustments for future events' traffic and parking coordination will be made then, Capt. West said.

A Fresno City Police mobile command trailer equipped with a satellite, camera, numerous work stations and phone lines, usually used in SWAT team operations, was parked at the corner of Shaw and Woodrow avenues and served as a command center.