UA Parking and Transportation Services will be asking zone-specific permit holders to temporarily leave their designated parking zones this Friday in preparation for the first football game.
Permit holders affected will include those who park in Cherry Avenue Parking Garage, street side parking on National Champion Drive, lots 6090 and 6092 west of Arizona Stadium, 6093 south of the Meinel Optical Sciences building, 6097 east of the stadium and 6098 east of McKale Center. However, zone specific permit holders will be able to park their vehicles in alternate locations.
Cherry Garage permit holders can park in other on-campus garages including the Sixth Street Parking Garage, Second Street Parking Garage and Highland Parking Garage. However, because of the large capacity of permit-holders, many will be redirected to the surface lots south of Sixth Street.
PTS sent an email to permit holders regarding their specific temporary locations; students were told where to relocate and that they may park overnight at these locations beginning at 5 p.m. today. They can retrieve their vehicle any time after the football game on Friday, but before 9 a.m. on Saturday, at no cost.
However, some students said they are worried about their personal safety due to the parking changes.
“My mom doesn’t want me walking all the way from south of Sixth [Street] by myself, and then I have to inconvenience someone else to get back because I don’t want to walk by myself in the dark either,” said Cassidy Elmer, a pre-education freshman and lot-specific permit holder.
Although there is no security where the permit holders will be parking, there are safe travel options available through SafeRide
and UAPD if students feel they need additional security.
“I think SafeRide is a very good resource,” said Bill Davidson, public information and marketing manager with PTS. “The nice thing about that is a student can call them up and they’ll come right up to them with a car, taking them wherever they need to go.”
Limited visitor parking is available in the Main Gate Parking Garage and the Tyndall Avenue Parking Garage on game day. There will be free parking for those who carpool with four or more people in the vehicle at the Tyndall, Main Gate and Highland garages. Park Avenue Parking Garage will operate as normal.
Disabled parking spaces are being sold at Cherry Avenue Garage and Sixth Street Garage at $10 per game. Drop-off locations for disabled patrons are spaced throughout the Arizona Stadium perimeter.
Additional parking lots on campus will also be selling spaces for the game. In addition to those parking accommodations, the Sun Tran will also help bring the community onto campus from the Hi Corbett Field and Casino Arizona Pavilion parking lot.
With six home games this semester, Elisa Tapia, program coordinator for special events with PTS, advised permit holders to review their permit instructions.
“Students should know their permit, know the rules and regulations, and know about the large special events that may affect their permit parking,” Tapia said. “Be aware of any changes and additional signage that may affect parking in their lot.”
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