Event and parking space reserved for the Eugene 08: U.S. Olympic Trials for Track & Field has dislodged the everyday movements of both community members and University staff and faculty.
Six streets around the University campus will be either closed or re-directed, and several key parking lots on the east side of campus are reserved for Eugene 08 use. Individuals who need to commute in and around the area are encouraged to find alternative modes of transportation such as “mass transit, carpooling or bicycles,” according to a University press release. The University is also recommending that employees allow extra time to commute to work.
“We did talk about (transportation) at the staff meeting this week,” said Linda King, associate vice president for Human Resources. “Some of us are planning to take the bus to work, some are planning to park at Joe Romania and take the EmX to campus.”
The Romania Lot Park and Ride, located near the corner of Franklin Boulevard and Walnut Street, has been reserved as alternative parking for University employees, said King.
Three streets, including 15th Avenue, Agate Street, and 17th Avenue, have already been closed to traffic. More of Agate Street and 18th Avenue are scheduled to close on June 26.
Both the Gerlinger Annex and the Johnson Hall parking lots will be open for the duration of the trials. Employees will be able to access their reserved parking spaces there through a one-way access on 13th Avenue and University Street, which will be reserved for University business.
Several other key University parking lots around the EMU, McArthur Court, Agate Hall and the Bean Lot will be closed to University use as of June 26.
The trials and related events will bring an increase in both motor and pedestrian traffic around the University area; however, there are only three days that these events will overlap with regular University business hours.
According to a University release, on Friday, June 27, events are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 9:20 p.m. On Monday, June 30, there are events from 11:30 a.m. to 9:40 p.m. On Friday, July 3, the Eugene 08 Festival begins at 4 p.m. Additionally there are Youth and All-comer meets scheduled on Tuesday, July 1, and Wednesday, July 2, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The University has recommended that offices consider “flux scheduling” whenever possible for positions that can work hours that do not coincide with Eugene 08 events, King said.
“There are times when there will be more congestion on campus and coming to campus,” King said. “If it works for the employee and the supervisor, we’re encouraging them to consider flux scheduling. Another way to avoid the congestion is taking a bus instead of a car – those sorts of things.”
Rita Radostitz, the media liaison at Northwest Event Management for Eugene 08, said that a Transportation, Parking, and Traffic Management Committee was formed roughly three years ago to coordinate the traffic movements for the Olympic trials. Committee members consist of individuals who work with Oregon Transportation, University transportation, Springfield transportation, the City of Eugene, the Eugene Airport, the Eugene Police Department and Lane Transit District, Radostitz said.
The closed streets and parking lots will begin reopening for regular use on July 7, and will be fully open by July 13.
“I think people are pretty excited to have this going on,” King said. “There will be inconvenience, but I think a lot of the employees, or the ones that I talk to anyway, are really excited to have the trial here.”
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