Transportation Services has announced traffic, parking and transit impacts related to Friday's Homecoming Parade, which will wind through campus and downtown State College starting at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10.
PARADE ROUTE AND PARKING
Parade participants will organize in the fields east of Medlar Field. From there, the parade units will follow the following route:
- Form on Porter Road
- West on Curtin Road, crossing University Drive, where the parade will be joined by units that have formed on the IM fields north of the IM Building
- West on Curtin Road to Bigler Road
- 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
- North on Burrowes Road to Curtin Road
- The parade will disperse at the Burrowes/Curtin intersection
The parade route will be closed to vehicular traffic from 5:30 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade. Parking along the route will be restricted. Motorists must remove parked vehicles on College Avenue prior to the start of the parade.
Parking for those who wish to view the parade will be available from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations:
- Lot Red A (west of Atherton Street)
- Nittany Parking Deck
- East Parking Deck
- Eisenhower Deck
- HUB Deck
Vehicles entering prior to 4 p.m. or remaining past 9 p.m. in the East, HUB or Nittany decks will be charged $1 per hour for parking (no charge after 4 p.m. with a valid Penn State parking permit).
Vehicles without a valid University Park faculty/staff permit wishing to park overnight must purchase a $30 weekend parking permit. These permits are available at the entrance to all four campus parking decks (East, Eisenhower, HUB, Nittany) and Lot Red A at White Course Drive.
Please note that parade parking is not permitted in any parking lots designated for resident student parking (Brown 11 - White Course Apartments, Lot 22 - Eastview Terrace, Lot 42 - Nittany Apartments, Lot 81 - South/Pollock Halls, Lot 82 - East Halls, or Lot 43 or Lot 83 on Hastings Road).
PARADE AND OTHER EVENT-RELATED ROAD CLOSURES
Following the parade, the Penn State Alumni Association will host the Guard the Lion Shrine event through midnight. In addition, the Bryce Jordan Center will host a men's basketball game at 4 p.m. and a women's basketball game at 7 p.m., and Jeffrey Field will host the women's soccer team at 7:30 p.m. in an NCAA tournament contest.
Due to the parade and these additional events, the following campus roadways will be closed on Friday:
- Porter Road between Curtin Road and the southernmost entrance to the Jordan East parking area from 5 p.m. until parade units have left the area (expected to be around 6 p.m.)
- Curtin Road between University Drive and Porter Road from 2 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade
- Curtin Road between University Drive and Bigler Road from 5:30 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade
- Bigler Road between Curtin Road and Pollock Road from 5:30 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade
- Pollock Road between Bigler Road and Shortlidge Road from 5:30 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade
- Shortlidge Road between Pollock Road and College Avenue from 5:30 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade
- Burrowes Road between College Avenue to Curtin Road from 5:30 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade
- Curtin Road between Allen Road and Atherton Street from 5:30 p.m. through midnight
As a result of the impacts to Burrowes Road and Curtin Road near the Lion Shrine, vehicles exiting Brown A, Brown B, Brown C, Brown E and Old Main will be directed to travel northbound on Fraser Road from Pollock Road to Curtin Road, and then northbound on Allen Road to Park Avenue.
Due to the parade and the events being held at the Bryce Jordan Center, all exits from the Jordan East parking area located along Porter Road will be closed beginning at 5 p.m. All vehicles attempting to exit Jordan East will be required to do so via Dauer Road to University Drive, where vehicles will be allowed to turn north or south on to University Drive.
PARKING IMPACTS
The Park Avenue section of the Orange B parking area will be reserved from 5 p.m. Thursday through the conclusion of the parade on Friday for parade preparations and staging. All vehicles must be removed from this lot by 6 p.m. Thursday. Parking in the other two sections of Orange B near Stone and Snyder Halls will remain available until 3:30 p.m. Friday.
Due to the formation and movement of parade units, as well as the 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. men's and women's basketball games at the Bryce Jordan Center, the sections of Lot Yellow H at the IM Building, Wagner Building and Shields Building, will be closed beginning Friday at 3:30 p.m. Vehicles already parked in these lots may remain, but additional parking will not be available after 3:30 p.m.
Faculty, staff and students who do not wish to remain parked until the conclusion of the parade, should make plans to remove their vehicles from the following areas before 5:30 p.m. Friday:
- Yellow H (Shields Building)
- Yellow H (IM Building)
- Yellow H (Wagner Building)
- Orange J (McCoy Natatorium)
- Lot 42 (north of Building 14)
- Lot 81 (at Ritner/Wolf Halls and Pollock Building) - vehicles must exit to Mifflin Road then travel south to McKean Road
- HUB Parking Deck (Yellow C)
- Yellow J (Atherton Hall)
- Yellow N (College Avenue in front of Health and Human Development)
- Red H (Noll Lab)
- Green C (Waring Commons)
- Red K (ARL) - vehicles will be able to exit west through the FedEx Office parking lot to Atherton Street
With the extended closing of Burrowes Road and a small section of Curtin Road, Fraser Road will be open to Curtin Road, where all vehicles must travel east to exit via Allen Road. Permit holders parking in the following areas wishing to use their normal exit routes should plan to exit prior to 5:30 p.m.:
- Old Main
- Brown B (Pond Lab)
- Brown C (Osmond Lab)
- Brown E (Sparks Building)
- Brown A (Willard, Reber and Deike buildings) – vehicles parked in the Reber and Deike sections of Brown A must access Fraser Road by traveling north between the Willard and Steidle buildings.
If exiting after the beginning of the parade, vehicles should travel west on Pollock Road to Fraser Road, turn north on Fraser and exit eastbound on Curtin Road to Allen Road.
University Police will be stationed along the parade route beginning at 5 p.m. to help facilitate rush-hour traffic flow and begin closing the route.
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TRAFFIC ADVISORIES
The Bryce Jordan Center will host back-to-back basketball games on Friday evening, with the men's basketball game scheduled for 4 p.m. and the Women's Basketball game set for 7 p.m. Event parking sales will be in place Friday evening at Jordan East, Stadium West and Porter North. Payment of the $5 event parking fee will be required in these areas for any vehicles not displaying a valid Penn State parking permit.
Due to parade route traffic restrictions, access to Jordan East will be available only from Dauer Road via University Drive, and Porter Road via College Avenue. Fans traveling north on Porter Road and University Drive should park in Jordan East, while those entering from Park Avenue should park in Stadium West. Those with Founders Permits should enter Jordan East from Dauer Road via University Drive, as no traffic will be allowed to enter on Curtin Road during the Women's Basketball game.
All vehicles must be removed from event parking lots before midnight Friday night in advance of Saturday's home football game.
ADJUSTMENTS TO CAMPUS TRANSIT
The following transit route adjustments will be in effect from approximately 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Friday:
Blue Loop:
There will be no Blue Loop service while parade detours in effect. All Blue Loop service will run as additional White Loop service.
White Loop:
Departing Schlow Centre Region Library, the White Loop will follow regular routing to University Drive, then turn left on Park Avenue, left on Atherton Street, and left on Beaver Avenue, where it will resume normal routing.
Red Link:
From West Campus, the Red Link will turn left onto Atherton Street, right on Park Avenue, and right on Hospital Drive, where it will resume normal routing to Innovation Park.
From Innovation Park, the bus will continue on Park Avenue, then turn left on Atherton Street, where it will resume regular routing to West Campus.
At approximately 9 p.m., some routes will return to regular routing.
Due to the Guard the Lion Shrine event following the Homecoming parade, there will be no bus service on Burrowes Road north of College Avenue or on Curtin Road between Atherton Street and the Pattee Transit Center between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Campus Shuttle:
Service will stop at 5 p.m. due to parade-related road closures.
Penn State University Police will be directing traffic at various intersections on campus, but delays should be expected.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Any parking-related questions should be directed to the Parking Office by phone at 865-1536. For traffic-related questions, please contact University Police at 863-1111. Questions related to CATABUS service should be directed to the CATA at 238-2282.