With the presidential debate just around the corner, more concessions are necessary by University personnel.
Parking and traffic patterns will be severely disrupted from Oct. 1-8, as television networks CNN and MSNBC will be broadcasting from the Hilltop Campus for several days and will take up parking spaces with production trucks and other vehicles.
As more and more guests, visitors and members of the media come to the University — estimated to be around 2,000 — fewer and fewer parking spaces will be available. However, shuttles from West Campus will be available from the garage near the corner of Forsyth Boulevard and Jackson Avenue. The shuttles will run to the Hilltop Campus approximately every 10 minutes as traffic permits.
Parking lots 28, 30, 31 and 32 will close at 6 p.m. Oct. 1. This includes the surface lot north of the Athletic Complex, as well as the entire parking area east of the Athletic Complex and south of the School of Law. This closure will affect approximately 381 parking spaces.
Portions of the top level of Millbrook Garage will be unavailable for general parking Oct. 6-7. The entire top level will be unavailable for general parking Oct. 8. These closures will affect 100-330 parking spaces.
There will be additional parking closures and restrictions Oct. 8, including Lot 35 directly south of Simon Hall. There will also be other smaller space reservations around campus throughout the week — signage will indicate which spaces are unavailable.
Due to increased security, access to campus on Oct. 7-8 will be limited to students, faculty and staff with a University identification card or to those individuals who are guests of the chancellor or the Commission on Presidential Debates.
All persons should carry and be prepared, upon request, to show a valid, current University identification card.
Oct. 8, the day of the debate, will see the most disruption as several roads leading into and onto the Hilltop Campus will be closed. Additionally, daily parking passes will not be honored on Oct. 8 — only those with annual permits will be allowed to park on campus.
The WUSTL shuttle system will be running regular schedules through Oct. 7 but will be operating reduced schedules and changed routes Oct. 8. There will be delays and reroutes on the Hilltop Campus as required by security and road closures.
More detailed information can be found online at debate.wustl.edu. The following briefly describes the changes to the shuttle service:
• The Gold Line will run the route as scheduled from the Medical Campus to the Hilltop Campus throughout most of the day. After approximately 11 a.m., Mallinckrodt Student Center will be the only Hilltop stop serviced by this route. Restrictions could be in place after 4 p.m. Service will resume regular schedule as soon as possible, hopefully between 10-11 p.m.
A separate bus will run the West Campus portion of the route. Restrictions could be in place after 4 p.m. Service will resume regular schedule as soon as possible, hopefully between 10-11 p.m.
• The Green Line will run through the University City neighborhoods close to its normal schedule during the day. No stops will be serviced on Delmar Boulevard west of Kingsland Avenue after 9 a.m. After about 11 a.m., the Mallinckrodt Student Center will be the only Hilltop stop serviced by this route.
The route will terminate completely for part of the day, with the last trip into University City from Mallinckrodt at 3:52 p.m. Service will resume when possible, hopefully by the 10:52 p.m. trip from Mallinckrodt, providing 10:52 p.m., 11:52 p.m. and 12:52 a.m. trips. A separate bus will provide transportation to the South 40.
• The Red Line will run its daytime route only, with no extended service to the Galleria, Target, etc. After approximately 11 a.m., the Mallinckrodt Student Center will be the only Hilltop stop serviced by this route.
The route will terminate for part of the day, with the last trip leaving campus at 3:37 p.m. Service will resume when possible, hopefully by the 10:37 p.m. trip from Mallinckrodt, providing 10:37 p.m., 11:37 p.m. and 12:37 a.m. trips.
To help ease the pain of traffic congestion and road closures, University personnel is encouraged to find alternate modes of transportation during this week, including carpooling, bicycling, walking, public transportation or having another driver drop off employees near campus.
Also, any visitors coming to campus should be made aware of these parking restrictions. Rescheduling appointments or moving meetings to locations away from the Hilltop Campus is being advised.
For the most recent information regarding the debate, go online to debate.wustl.edu/debate_update.