Prepare for game day traffic

Published 12:22 pm Friday, November 20, 2015

Crowds should be large Saturday for the Ole Miss Rebels’ final home game of the season.

Game-goers have a variety of parking and shuttle options for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

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Fans may park at FNC Park, Oxford High School and Northwest Mississippi Community College and spend $5 to be shuttled to the campus by Cline Tour buses. The buses run every 10 minutes and will start running at 8 a.m..

Oxford Police Maj. Jeff McCutchen encouraged people to park at the FNC Park parking lot, which was a new option this season, and ride to the game.

“Come on, come early and don’t forget the FNC lot,” he said. “We are not even scratching the surface of what it can accommodate. Plus, you can get in and out of town 30 to 45 minutes faster than anybody else. It’s a great way in and out, no matter what way you came in.”

McCutchen said traffic was heightened for the Arkansas game Nov. 6 on the major thoroughfares, particularly Highway 6.

“What we noticed in the Arkansas game is a lot of traffic congestion for people on the way to the game around 11 or 12,” he said. “It was just bumper to bumper.”

He expects nothing less this weekend because LSU travels in large quantities to its games. Coupled with the fact it is senior day and it is the last game of the season, it should be a large turnout

“Anybody that can is going to try to make it to this one,” he said.

GAMEDAY TIPS

• The Oxford-University Transit will have two buses running every 15 minutes starting at 6 a.m. Saturday morning. The buses will pick up from the Jackson Avenue Center near the Old Oxford Mall and stop about two hours after the game. The university funds the game-day shuttle service.

• The OUT shuttles are free of charge, however transit officials ask everyone to visit the OUT website, www.oxfordms.net/visitors/gameday-shuttle-service.html, to read the rules of what items are allowed or not allowed to be carried onto the buses, including tents, pets and large coolers, over 40 quarts.

• Backpacks and track bags are not allowed on shuttles or in the stadium. The University also will be making a few enhanced security measures in light of the terrorist attack in Paris last week.

• Game day visitors to campus who have a permit to park on campus will be permitted to enter campus from any campus entrance except those on Gertrude-Ford Boulevard. Permit holders must park only in the lot type that matches their permit designation.

• The Double Decker bus will also be running people to the Grove from the Square at no charge.

• After the game, all traffic traveling eastbound or westbound on West Jackson Avenue will only be allowed to make right turns at intersections, no one will be allowed to make a left turn crossing traffic.

• OPD will be working with MDOT to electronically monitor the Highway 6 and Jackson Avenue intersection.

• City and law enforcement officials remind everyone that parking on grass or where the curb is yellow is illegal and vehicles will be towed.

• Long-term parking is discouraged from the downtown Square. Meters will be programmed to only allow someone to pay for three hours at a time.

• Meters will only allow someone to pay for up to three hours at a time. If someone wants to park longer, they cannot pay any more money until the meter runs out after three hours.

• Game day parking fines are $50 for the first violation; $75 for the second and $100 for three or more in a 12-month period.

• For more information, follow OPD on Twitter @OxfordPolice and Facebook, tune in to AM 1630, FM 93.7 and FM 105.1 for game and traffic updates, or call OPD at 662-232-2400 or the Oxford Parking Division at 662-232-8605.