New restrictions on traffic in the campus core are set to take effect Monday (April 27), furthering efforts to reduce the risk of vehicle versus pedestrian-bicyclist accidents.

Citing ongoing safety concerns and increased traffic, the campus will extend the operating hours for gates that limit access, and will lock them at more times during the day.

In addition, the campus announced stricter enforcement of the rules — including one that says vehicles must sit still during lockdowns (which coincide with class breaks).

Transportation and Parking Services, or TAPs, which administers the central campus access management policy, sent a memo last week to explain the changes.

TAPS and the Police Department enforce the parking rules associated with the policy, while police enforce the provisions having to do with motor vehicle operation: exceeding the speed limit, driving during class breaks, disregarding bollards/gates, etc. Fines for central campus violations may exceed $74.

Here are the changes:

• Lockdown hours — This is the period when the gates are locked at specified times during the day (class breaks). Now, lockdown hours are 7:50 a.m. to 4:10 p.m. The new lockdown hours, effective April 27, are 7:50 a.m. to 7:10 p.m.
• Lockdowns (class breaks) — These last 10 minutes (except for the 20-minute lockdown, 11:50 a.m.-12:10 p.m.). During lockdown, lights flash at the gates, and only emergency response vehicles, authorized buses and mobility assistance shuttles are allowed to enter the campus core.

Three lockdowns are being added: 10:20-10:30 a.m., 1:30-1:40 p.m. and 4:30-4:40 p.m. Here is the new lockdown schedule, with the additional start times:

• Morning — 7:50, 8:50, 9:50, 10:20, 10:50 and 11:50
• Afternoon-evening — 1, 1:30, 2, 3, 4, 4:30, 5, 6 and 7

Vehicle access

Emergency response vehicles are allowed in the campus core at any time, of course. The same goes for authorized buses and mobility assistance shuttles.

Other vehicles are allowed if they are being used to deliver or pick up heavy loads, and if no other parking place provides a reasonable alternative. But drivers who are granted such access are subject to the following rules:

• No entry during lockdown.
• No parking in front of the gates while waiting for lockdown to end (we don’t want anything blocking emergency vehicles, buses and mobility assistance shuttles).
• No driving during lockdown. Drivers whose vehicles are already parked, must keep them parked. Otherwise, drivers must pull to the curb, stop and stay in their vehicles. All drivers must do this even if they are no longer in the vicinity of the flashing lights at the gates. In other words, drivers need to keep track of the time and when lockdowns are happening.

TAPS Director Cliff Contreras and Police Chief Matt Carmichael said they appreciate the cooperation of all departments for limiting their driving in the campus core, and for adhering to the “pull over and stop” rule during lockdowns.

Every vehicle entering the core is required to display a “Central Campus” permit, and every driver must adhere to central campus access guidelines and regulations.

TAPS also reminded drivers: Do not use the campus core as a short cut to travel to a destination point outside of the core.

And, bottom line: Be aware of bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

For more information, contact TAPS via email.

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