UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State University Parking Office is advising travelers of multiple traffic and parking changes associated with the 2013 Homecoming parade Oct. 11.
The parade route will be closed to vehicular traffic from 6 p.m. until the conclusion of the parade and parking along the route will be restricted. Motorists must remove parked vehicles on College Avenue and in some University parking lots prior to the start of the parade. Free parking will be available in specific lots for visitors who wish to watch the parade.
The annual parade will wind through the streets of campus and State College Borough, beginning at 6 p.m. The parade will include more than 200 student, community and alumni organizations as well as the Blue Band, the Nittany Lion and a 40-foot long lion cub balloon.
Participants will organize in Lot Orange B (softball) and the fields north of the Intramural (IM) Building and south of Medlar Field. From these areas, the parade units will form on Curtin and Porter roads; proceed west on Curtin Road to Bigler Road; turn south on Bigler Road to Pollock Road; west on Pollock Road to Shortlidge Road; south on Shortlidge Road to College Avenue; west on College Avenue to Burrowes Road; and north on Burrowes Road. The parade will disperse at the Burrowes-Pollock road intersection.
Porter Road will be closed to all northbound traffic from Hastings Road to Curtin Road from 5:30 p.m. until the parade units clear the roadway forming on Curtin Road. Curtin Road will be closed from University Drive to Porter Road until the last parade unit is clear. The Curtin Road exit and Porter Road exits No. 2, 3 and 4 out of Lot 44 will be closed until the roadways are open. The No. 5 exit from Lot 44 to Porter Road will be open. No traffic will be allowed to exit onto Porter Road northbound until the parade clears. All traffic exiting lot 44 will need to use the exit to University Drive south of the Bryce Jordan Center; vehicles will be allowed to turn north or south on University Drive. Northbound traffic on University Drive can expect some delays at the Curtin Road and University Drive intersection as the parade crosses University Drive.
Yellow H (IM Building): Due to the formation and movement of parade units through the lot, Parking Lot Yellow H (IM Building) will be closed beginning at 3 p.m., and all vehicles must be removed from the Yellow H (IM) lot by 5:30 p.m.
Faculty, staff and students who do not wish to remain until the conclusion of the parade, should make plans to remove their vehicle from the following areas before 6 p.m.: Yellow H Shields Building, Yellow H (IM Building must be clear by 5:30 p.m.), Yellow H (Wagner Building), Orange J (McCoy Natatorium), Lot 81 (at Ritner/Wolf halls and Pollock Building) HUB Parking Deck, Yellow J (Atherton Hall) and Yellow N (College Avenue in front of the Health & Human Development Building).
Lot Brown A (access to Burrowes Road) will be closed during the parade. Pollock Road access will remain open to Burrowes Road for vehicles exiting Lot Brown A.
University Police will be stationed along the parade route at 5 p.m. to help facilitate rush-hour traffic flow and begin closing the route.
Free parking will be available from 4 to 9 p.m. in:-- Lot Red A (west of North Atherton Street)-- The Nittany Parking Deck (next to the Nittany Lion Inn), East Parking Deck (located near the corner of Bigler and Curtin Roads), Eisenhower Deck (next to Eisenhower Auditorium) and the HUB Deck (next to the HUB-Robeson Center).
Vehicles entering prior to 4 p.m. or remaining past 9 p.m. in the East, HUB or Nittany parking decks will be charged $1 per hour.
Parade parking is not permitted in any parking lot designated for resident student parking (Lot 22 Eastview, 42 Nittany Apartments, 81 South/Pollock Halls, 82 East Halls, Lot 83 and P43 on Hastings Road).