Students concerned about restrictions on U of M parking

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This article was published 29/02/2012 (5208 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Checkpoints and strict parking passes may be part of a University of Manitoba transportation plan to tackle parking at the new stadium.

Students and university staff voiced concerns over the new game-day restrictions at an open house on Wednesday, as the university rolled out its proposed plan to overcome the inevitable parking issues at the new Investors Group Field.

“Restricted access to their own campus that they pay in to is concerning for a lot of students,” said Camilla Tapp, president of the University of Manitoba Students’ Union. “They want to have access to the place they pay tuition to.”

According to the plan, worked out between the university, the Winnipeg Football Club and the city, on game days designated parking is set aside for students and for Bombers fans.

Starting a few hours before the game, checkpoints will be in place at the roads entering the university, allowing only parking permit holders in certain lots to enter.

During game time, 1,500 spots will be set aside for university parking pass holders in three lots. An hour and a half before the game, students and staff in any other parking lots will have to leave.

All other parking spots will be reserved for stadium parking pass holders.

The plan also shows that depending on where you park, you are only allowed to access the university via certain roads.

Game attendees with passes can drive in via University Crescent or Chancellor Matheson Road, depending on the assigned parking lot, while U of M students and staff will only be able to access the university via King’s Drive, a residential road.

The university will still be accessible via buses, walking and biking no matter if you’re going to the game or not.

Alan Simms, associate vice-president of administration, said there is still some flexibility in the plan and they will work with students and staff to work out the kinks.

“We might not be able to make everyone happy, but we certainly can reasonably accommodate some of the bigger concerns,” he said.

Some of these concerns include on-campus residents who say they currently park in spaces not set aside for university parking. They wonder where they will park their cars on game day.

There are currently nine games at new stadium for 2012. Four are weekend games, while four out of the five weekday games are scheduled for the summer.

Residents in the surrounding neighbourhoods will be able to get a first look at their plan tonight at Dalhousie Elementary School in the south end. The open house will take place from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

jennifer.ford@freepress.mb.ca