Date:

April 13, 2005

For More Information Contact:

Diane Gonzolas, Citizen Information Center, 441-7831

Captain Joy Citta, Police Department, 441-7751

Scott Opfer, Public Works and Utilities, 441-7851

Mayor Coleen J. Seng today said the Police and Public Works and Utilities Departments have made plans to accommodate traffic and pedestrians attending the UNL spring football game at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16 at Memorial Stadium. Stadium Drive will close at 7 a.m., and the Husker Pavilion will open on that street at 9:30 a.m. The stadium will open at 11 a.m. for general admission seating.

“We expect up to 60,000 Husker fans to stream into our downtown area for the spring game this year,” said Mayor Seng. “We welcome fans to our downtown, and we are taking extra steps to make sure they remain safe.”

The Lincoln Police Department has assigned 22 officers to direct traffic before and after the game. Those coming from out of town who plan to park west of the stadium, including the Haymarket Park parking areas, are encouraged to use the airport or West “O” Street exits. Those parking downtown are urged to used the downtown exit. The West Bypass to Capitol Parkway West is also recommended as a route into and out of downtown Lincoln.

StarTran will offer its Big Red Express service from two locations:

• Home Depot, 27th and Cornhusker
• SouthPointe Pavilions, 27th and Pine Lake Road.

Buses will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon from these locations to the stadium. They will leave from the east side of the stadium immediately following the game. The cost is $3 each way for adults and $1 each way for children age 12 and under.

Downtown parking meters are enforced until 6 p.m. Saturdays. The parking section of the City Public Works and Utilities Department is offering $5 pre-paid parking at four of its parking facilities:

• Que Place Garage, 1111 “Q” Street
• Market Place Garage, 935 “Q” Street
• Haymarket Garage, 840 “Q” Street
• Iron Horse Parking Lot (surface lot), 201 N. 7th Street

All other City parking facilities will be open, and normal parking rates will apply. On-line reserved parking for the Spring Game is available at lincoln.ne.gov. Attendants at the Que Place, Market Place and Haymarket garages will have information about on-line parking reservations, season parking passes, parking locations and other information for the 2005 Husker football season. Maps and other parking information are available at lincoln.ne.gov or by calling the parking office at 402-441-6472.

Parking will be available in the University facility at 17th and “R” streets at normal rates. The INS lot at 8th and “S” streets will charge $5 for cars and $10 for RVs.

Handicapped parking is available on the surface lot at 19th and “R” streets with a University shuttle service beginning at 11 a.m. Handicapped parking also is available at the City parking facilities, 14th and Vine streets, and the UNL lot at 10th and Holdrege.

The Antelope Valley Project has resulted in these closures:

• Court Street, the east-west street immediately south of the Bob Devaney Sports Center has been permanently closed east of 15th Street. North 16th Street between Holdrege Street and the “Y” Street Connector has been permanently closed for excavation of the Antelope Creek Channel.
• Two lanes of Vine Street from North 22nd to North 28th Streets are closed for improvements. Two traffic lanes in the area are to remain open for two-way traffic. Motorists are reminded that left turns off of Vine Street onto 27th Street are prohibited at all times. Fans may consider accessing the stadium from the west to avoid possible delays in the area.

The fans will include about 5,000 elementary and junior high students from the region who will take a drug-free pledge at half time of the spring game. The buses carrying the students will be routed to the lot at University lot at 14th and Holdrege streets.