University Construction Mess and Parking

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akgopher

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I decided to go with a West Bank Lot after driving through the construction too many times this summer. I think that it is going to be a parking lot this year in all directions and it was pretty miserable at times before the construction.
 

Can some one tell me where all the Wash Ave traffic is supposed to be rerouted to, or is all that traffic supposed to just go away.
 

University Avenue/4th Street is a perfectly good route. If you need to get to West bank, you can cross on 19th or 35W. Washington Ave was never a good traffic route and is better suited for what it will be used.
 

Mrs. Billd and I often take the bus over from Lot C-86 to the game but always walk back.

Do we know if the construction is going to alter the gameday bus service from the West Bank? To date it's actually been a pretty good set-up.

Thanks in advance.

Go Gophers! In Kill We Trust!
 

DLguy said:
University Avenue/4th Street is a perfectly good route. If you need to get to West bank, you can cross on 19th or 35W. Washington Ave was never a good traffic route and is better suited for what it will be used.
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Absolutely spot on. Come early, stay late. Move on.
 


For all the worries about it, the U2 concert went reasonably well traffic-wise. Especially considering that it was the first major event since the Wash. Ave closure, it was more people than for a football game day, and it was a higher percentage of people who were unfamiliar with getting around the U. As others said, come early, stay late. Enjoy game days on campus.
 

highwayman said:
Absolutely spot on. Come early, stay late. Move on.
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Exactly. We arrive when the tailgate lots open. And tailgate an hour after the game. Never had to deal with a lick of traffic.

Buses will just go 19th Ave bridge to University instead of over Washington. Wont take any longer.
 

Was at the U bookstore this morning and totally spaced on Wash. Ave being closed. Even driving around to the Delaware St. ramp entrance from the East River Pkwy instead of my normal route of taking Washington to Church, there wasn't any time issue. Granted, there was no additional traffic, like others said, Washington wasn't a main vein into/out of Dinkytown anyway.
 

U2

year of the gopher said:
For all the worries about it, the U2 concert went reasonably well traffic-wise. Especially considering that it was the first major event since the Wash. Ave closure, it was more people than for a football game day, and it was a higher percentage of people who were unfamiliar with getting around the U. As others said, come early, stay late. Enjoy game days on campus.
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The U2 traffic may have gone OK with the significant exception of those who parked on the St. Paul campus. There were thousands waiting well after midnight for shuttles, and we ended up walking on the transitway at 1 am because it was faster. That is a situation that has to be addressed for future events.

The flow is different for a concert; it got out later and since everyone was soaked there were fewer people lingering around than after FB games (tailgating, bars, etc.). There were also thousands more people than at FB games since the field was filled.
 



For most games, I am there early and out late. Like others have said, if you embrace Gopher game day as a day-long event, and not use the Metrodome "beat the traffic" mentality... you will never have to worry about the traffic.

I am almost always there early for games, regardless if I am bringing my family, kids, or buddies. I do have to deal with traffic on occasion when I have to deal with impatient kids (can't exactly take them to the bars) or have other Saturday committments. In these more rare instances, I will be curious to see if exit traffic will be worse for me. I never used Washington for Gopher game day but wonder if those that did will now be on my route.
 

Washington Ave Ramp

Does anyone know how traffic will be rerouted to/from the Washington Ave. Ramp?
 





akgopher said:
I decided to go with a West Bank Lot after driving through the construction too many times this summer.
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Welcome to the West Bank Lots. We are in C88 (the small lot next to the law library) and love it there. We have trees to give us shade, a large grassy area for throwing a ball or playing tailgating games and plenty of space to set up camp. As for the walk, I love the fact that we get to go make a "pilgrimage" through campus on the way to the game and by the time we get back to our lot afterwards, the traffic is pretty much cleared out. I'd much rather be walking for 20-30 minutes instead of sitting in my car stuck in traffic.

I would love to be tailgating in the shadow of TCF Bank Stadium but until they change the pricing so I can afford it, I'm totally comfortable where I am now.
 

Catechol said:
The U2 traffic may have gone OK with the significant exception of those who parked on the St. Paul campus. There were thousands waiting well after midnight for shuttles, and we ended up walking on the transitway at 1 am because it was faster. That is a situation that has to be addressed for future events.

The flow is different for a concert; it got out later and since everyone was soaked there were fewer people lingering around than after FB games (tailgating, bars, etc.). There were also thousands more people than at FB games since the field was filled.
Click to expand...

The dynamic was different for the U2 concert because A) everyone stayed to the bitter end, and B) there were 9,000 more people there than are normally at a football game (Billboard reported the attendance at 59,850).

And I can't speak for anyone else, but every bar I attempted to enter after the show was butts-to-nuts packed two hours after the conclusion of the show.

As for the original poster, welcome to the West Bank! We're in lot 89.
 

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