2003 Football Parking Information

COLUMBUS – When the national champion Ohio State Buckeyes kick off their 2003 campaign, fans will notice a lot of construction before reaching Ohio Stadium. Throughout the area, both on and off campus, motorists can expect delays and reduced parking availability.

On campus, there are several buildings undergoing construction, renovation or replacement. Parking lots that usually accommodate football fans are filled with construction equipment, which consumes or reduces the space available for game parking.

“This year, more than ever, we are advising football fans to plan to spend additional time to reach the area and to park,” says Beth Kelley, associate director for Transportation and Parking. “There are about 900 fewer parking spaces on central campus and, for most people, it is possible that the place you parked last year will be unavailable this year.”

A color-coded parking map is available at
http://www.tp.ohio-state.edu/specialevents/football/footballparking.shtml

Fans wishing to avoid campus football traffic can take advantage of a program offered by the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) that provides parking and transportation to and from all home football games. Fans can park at the COTA parking area at the Ohio Expo Center, located just off I-71 at 17th Avenue. The shuttle service, which will operate three hours before and two hours after the game, will drop off and pick up at Neil Avenue and 17th Avenue, just a few blocks from Ohio Stadium. Cost is $10 per car. COTA also offers expanded game day service along High Street.

Since the majority of students do not return to campus until classes begin on Sept. 24, university officials expect heavier traffic for the first few games.

New this year, RV and camper parking is only available in the Buckeye lots at the Schottenstein Center, Grey lots 3-7 (limited availability), and at 650 Ackerman Road.
Campus parking lots tend to fill early on game days, and Kelley recommends that drivers plan to arrive at least 90 minutes before kickoff. “Motorists should come early and follow directions of the traffic control officers to available campus parking. The officers are in constant communication with each other. They know when parking lots become full and can direct motorists to the best available parking.”

Public Parking
Public parking is available in any “day-of-game” lot at a charge of $10 per vehicle (no charge with an OSU permit). These parking lots include: Polo Field (limited space available), Ag campus lots, Fawcett Center, Woody Hayes Facility, Blankenship Hall, the Buckeye lots at the Schottenstein Center, and West Campus lots. Free bus service from West Campus begins three hours prior to kickoff and continues until one hour after the game.

Campus garages available for day-of-game parking include the Ohio Union garage, Arps Hall garage, South Cannon garage, 9th Avenue garage, 11th Avenue garage and 12th Avenue garage.

Camper and RV parking
·Day of game parking
RV and camper parking is available in at the Schottenstein center in the Buckeye lots and Grey lots 3-7 (limited availability), and at 650 Ackerman Road (north of Ackerman at Fred Taylor Drive). Day-of-game camper parking is $50.

·Season Permits
Recreational vehicles, campers and vans with season RV parking permits will be located in the Grey 3-7 lots, west of Bill Davis Stadium and north of Borror Drive.

Disability Parking

Disability parking is located in the north St. John Arena lots, which are off of Lane Avenue and east of the Olentangy River. Cost is $10. A shuttle will provide continuous adapted transportation service to Gate 14 of the stadium beginning three hours before kickoff and continuing for one hour after the game. Drivers must present either a valid OSU disability parking permit, a disability permit issued by the Department of Athletics, or a valid state disability placard.

Season Parking Permit
These lots are reserved for those who have purchased a season parking permit from the Department of Athletics. They include the permit lots around Ohio Stadium, south French Field House, Sisson Hall, the Polo field lot, the lot between Lincoln and Morrill towers and the lots south of Lincoln Tower, and the Northwest and Tuttle Park Place garages.

Traffic Patterns
At least two hours prior to game time, some streets on and around campus become one-way, going toward the stadium. After the game, traffic patterns will be reversed, going away from the stadium. Due to various construction projects on campus, it may be necessary to change these traffic patterns from game to game. Traffic control officers will direct people around construction detours.

Road Construction
·Lane Avenue Bridge and Lane Avenue
The Lane Avenue Bridge over the Olentangy River is closed. The Franklin County Engineer’s office projects that the new bridge will be open by Nov. 14. A footbridge has been constructed to allow pedestrian traffic to cross the river at the bridge.
Lane Avenue is under construction between the Lane Avenue Bridge and Neil Avenue.

·Woody Hayes Drive
Woody Hayes Drive west of the stadium is narrowed on either side of the bridge over the Olentangy as workers build a larger replacement next to it. Under the bridge, Olentangy River Road is narrowed from four to two lanes.

·High Street
High Street is narrowed to two lanes between 9th and 12th Avenues as construction crews replace old water and utility lines ahead of the groundbreaking for the Gateway Project.

Motorists should expect delays if they try to use that area of High Street to reach campus. The infrastructure improvements are scheduled to be complete by mid-November.