Transportation plan to ease gameday traffic

From The Battalion

By Joanna Raines

Published: Friday, September 7, 2012

Congested, frustrating and confusing. These are the streets of Aggieland, where new construction seems to begin everyday, and travelling five miles can sometimes take 30 minutes. Add in massive crowds, out of state visitors and added road closings and it becomes a recipe for disaster.
For Saturday’s game day, knowing the right modes of getting to Kyle Field could make the difference between making and missing the first SEC kickoff.
To prevent massive traffic jams, Texas A&M Transportation Services and local law enforcement will implement a traffic plan to be in effect before and after the game.
For students on campus, transportation through massive crowds will be eased with new walking routes.
“We are excited about the new plaza located between Koldus Building and Rudder Tower which will open Thursday of this week and will provide pedestrian-friendly access to the area.” June Broughton, communications manager for transportation services, said.
For students coming from off campus, some of the buses will be running. Bus routes being used include 22, 26, 31 and 36. These routes will begin two hours before kickoff, and will not run the route they take during normal school hours.
Due to limited bus routes, Lt. Allan Baron of the University Police Department recommends students take advantage of the shuttle buses.
“The quickest and the safest way to get to Kyle Field on game day is by utilizing Transportation Services’ shuttle services from Post Oak Mall.” Baron said.
More than 15 buses will be used in transporting pedestrians to and from the Post Oak Mall. These shuttles will begin three hours before the game, and resume for one hour after the game.
“We transport approximately 5,000 fans each game day on the Get to the Grid shuttles from Post Oak Mall. These shuttles are fare free and are made possible by advertising dollars,” Broughton said. “We encourage students to carpool and then park at the mall to ride the shuttles in order to avoid game day traffic.”
Broughton encourages students to use caution when considering biking.
“We want to remind bike riders that traffic will be heavy on Saturday in and around campus so please use extra caution on roadways,” Broughton said.
In addition to special accommodations from the transportation department, local law enforcement will also be actively working to relieve traffic problems.
College Stations Police Department public information officer Rhonda Seaton said it is policy for officers to not take game days off. They are prepared to deal with more traffic accidents and confusion due to visitors who have never been to Aggieland.
Local law enforcement officers will not be standing alone to battle the crazed crowds. Assistance will be available from officers on foot, bike and vehicles.
“The University Police will be utilizing personnel from several local law enforcement agencies, state agencies and a private security company to help manage security during game day,” Baron said. “A majority will be working crowd control and security related duties in and around the stadium.”
Students are organizing to break the record for the largest ESPN College GameDay attendance. University and law enforcement officials are working to make this happen in the easiest and safest way possible.