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 Fall
2009
Game day parking and transportation
This fall the University of Minnesota opens its new TCF Bank Stadium, bringing tens of thousands of Gopher fans to campus on football Saturdays. Game day activities will start before kickoff and extend beyond the fourth quarter. Much time and effort has been put into creating a parking and transportation plan to ensure a smooth, pleasant experience for football fans while still accommodating the educational and research responsibilities of the University. Nevertheless, students, staff, faculty, and guests who are not attending the game or scheduled for work-related activities are encouraged to avoid the campus area, particularly near and during the time of the games.
Parking is likely to be particularly challenging on game days. Shuttles will be running frequently, and visitors to campus are encouraged to avoid the congestion by parking in West Bank or St. Paul campus parking lots. A western shuttle route will transport people between the West Bank and the East Bank, and an eastern route will carry riders from and to the St. Paul campus. Additional traffic accommodations include:
- Traffic control officers at key intersections, parking access points, and pedestrian crossings to ensure safe, efficient movement
- A special event signal-timing plan to accommodate pregame and postgame traffic surges
- Portable changeable message signs on key roadways to communicate parking availability and alert drivers of event-related road closures or detours
- An on-campus traffic management center to monitor Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) video feeds from key interchanges entering campus (This will enable University personnel to respond rapidly to traffic incidents and congestion and to communicate to the public via roadway changeable message signs and the University's
Web site.)
- Restricted on-street parking at select locations during football games to promote efficient traffic flows
- Partially or fully closed streets near TCF Bank Stadium during football games to accommodate large pedestrian volumes
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