Demand for parking spaces on the University of Utah campus is expected to nearly double on the only Thursday game of the Ute Football season.
Alma Allred is the executive director of commuter services at the U. His suggestion is simply to not drive to campus.
“There’s going to be a lot of traffic. Fortunately, I don’t think there will be as much traffic as there has been in previous years," says Allred. "I think you’re aware of the fact that if somebody has a ticket to the game, they can ride TRAX for free, the whole day.”
Allred says the U is also offering free bicycle valet parking at the stadium for the season, a service that is expected to grow in its second year. He says it’s little consolation if you’re stuck in traffic now, but things will get better soon.
“The first two weeks of school we have a lot more people who drive than normally drive. They have a little bit of a comfort feeling having their car with them and work out some of the specifics of commuting,” he says.
Allred says department heads at the U are being asked to allow more telecommuting. He says working from home reduces the U carbon foot print through having fewer engines running while increasing traffic flow around campus. The new Route U mobile app is also a good resource for locating the best route for walking around campus and avoiding construction.