FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SDSU ANNOUNCES TRAFFIC AND PARKING MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR
BEGINNING OF FALL SEMESTER
New 2,500-space Parking Facility will Ease Parking Needs During Campus Construction
CONTACT: Jason Foster or JoAnna Parrino Clark, (619) 594-5204
SAN DIEGO, Thursday, August 23, 2001 - SDSU officials announced today a detailed traffic and parking management plan for the first weeks of class including the addition of a sixth parking garage containing nearly 2,500 parking spaces. The fall semester starts Tuesday, Sept. 4.
The parking management plan is designed to expeditiously direct traffic to on-campus lots, which have been transformed by more than $200 million in construction projects just completed or under way, and provide parking information. The plan will be staffed by a crew of 70 people including SDSU parking officers, San Diego Police Department special event traffic controllers, and contracted personnel from private companies.
"SDSU is proactively planning for the busy time at the beginning of the fall semester and is using all available resources to facilitate timely access to campus," said Mike Smoger, Assistant Director of SDSU Public Safety. "Our efforts are more comprehensive than ever to help students, faculty and staff adjust to the changes on the campus."
As part of the plan, students are encouraged to park on the east side of campus in parking structures 3 and 6. As in the past, valet parking will be available in lots C and D located off Alvarado Road. The Red and Black Shuttle system has several pick-up/drop-off points around the campus, making it more convenient for students to park in outlying lots. A new parking information office is located on the first floor of the Chemical Sciences Laboratory building on the corner of College Avenue and Canyon Crest Drive. This office will replace the parking information kiosk located on the south side of campus on Campanile Drive.
Parking lots affected by construction include:
* F lot (faculty/staff), located east of College Avenue and connected by footbridge to the Business Administration building, is partially closed. Additional faculty/staff parking has been added to level three in Parking Structure 1.
* North E lot (student), located south of Parking Structure 1, is closed. Additional student parking is available in Parking Structure 6.
* W lot (student, visitor and faculty/staff), located adjacent to Parking Structure 4, is closed. Additional faculty/staff parking is available on level three of Parking Structure 4. West side visitor parking has been relocated to Parking Structure 5 at the intersection of 55th Street and Montezuma Road.
* G lot (visitor), located east of College Avenue just south of Parking Structure 1, is closed. East side visitor parking has been relocated to Parking Structure 6, located north of Parking Structure 3 on East Campus Drive.
* U lot (student), located near the west-side residence halls, has been opened for general student parking.
* X lot (student and faculty/staff), located on Canyon Crest Drive, remains open. However, the staircase located near Business Services is closed. Additional stairs are available on the east side of the X lot leading to the Art Building.
* Disabled parking displaced during the reconfiguration of Scripps Terrace and Avenue of the Arts into two-way streets has been relocated to the two new disabled lots, I and Z. I lot is located near Nasatir Hall and Z lot near the Family Studies building.
Additional parking information is also available at www.sdsu.edu.
"Although we have more parking spaces than ever before, we strongly urge students to plan for extra travel time and arrive early during the first weeks of the semester," Smoger said.
CONSTRUCTION
The construction projects include additions and improvements to the central campus and athletic facilities, the integration of light rail transit, and redevelopment projects in the community immediately south of the campus.
Parking Structure 6Located on the east side of campus, Parking Structure 6, a $15 million, multilevel structure with 2,458 spaces that will be available at the start of the fall semester. The opening of Parking Structure 6 increases the university's total parking inventory to approximately 14,260 available spaces, 2,295 more than were available as of December 2000.
"Staying ahead of our parking needs is a constant priority," said Tony Fulton, director of Facilities Planning and Management."The opening of this structure more than compensates for parking displaced by other construction projects."
SDSU Trolley Extension
The biggest project under way at SDSU is rapidly transforming the Aztec Green/Aztec Walk area to make way for the San Diego Trolley.
Construction crews are in the first phases of building an underground trolley station and three-quarters of a mile of tunnels that curve underneath the central campus. This $84.3 million project is part of the Metropolitan Transit Development Board's overall $431 million Mission Valley East trolley extension, scheduled to open in early 2005. To minimize impacts to the campus' learning environment, the heaviest on-campus work will take place during off-peak periods, and sound walls and other measures are being put into place to minimize dust and noise. Construction activity will also be limited during the first weeks of the fall semester.
Chemical Sciences Laboratory
A commanding view of College Avenue and Interstate 8 makes the Chemical Sciences Laboratory building the most visible new campus project for campus visitors. This $31 million, 106,000-sq.-ft. facility, completed in July and open for use this fall, features 57 chemistry and geology laboratories and 17 faculty offices, as well as offices for the campus' Environmental Health and Safety department. In addition, visitors will have quick access to the new campus parking information office at the foot of the building on the corner of College Avenue and Canyon Crest Drive for obtaining parking permits and directions.
Cuicacalli Residence Hall
Cuicacalli Suites is SDSU's latest residential and dining hall complex. This $32 million, 242,000-sq.-ft. student living center will begin to accommodate its first complement of 686 students on Wednesday, Aug. 29. Its amenities include two towers of suite-style accommodations that offer increased privacy for students, a dining commons, coffee shop, convenience store, laundry and study facilities, and recreational areas including a sun deck, pool and sand volleyball court.
Aztec Athletic Center
On the west side of campus just west of 55th Street, the $13.6 million, 127,500-sq.-ft. Aztec Athletics Center is rapidly approaching completion. The project, funded by gifts from San Diego Padres owners John and Becky Moores, will be the home for a 5,000-sq.-ft. Aztecs Hall of Fame, in addition to new offices for all Athletics administration staff and coaches. Student athletes will also benefit from new locker rooms and weight rooms available for all sports.
Chemistry/Geology Renovation
The $23.4 million renovation of this 110,000 sq. ft. building began this summer. Scheduled for completion in June 2002, the project will replace outmoded laboratories with new computer labs, classrooms and department offices. The building exterior will also receive a complete makeover, with new windows and a faÁade compatible with our traditional Spanish Colonial architecture.
San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, SDSU has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 79 areas, master's degrees in 61 areas and doctorates in 13. SDSU's more than 31,000 students participate in academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with professors and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, log onto www.sdsu.edu.
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