As of August 29, the University of Massachusetts Boston has permanently closed the South Parking Lot to make way for the new Utility Corridor and the Roadway Relocation (UCRR) project.
This closure is the next phase in the UCRR project, which itself is a part of the University’s 25-year overarching Master Plan. The modern Utility Corridor will replace the old distribution system, serve the existing buildings, and is essential for new sites like the General Academic Building No 1.
“The South Lot will be used as a staging area; a space for equipment, pipes, and soil,” says Holly Sutherland, Manager of Master Plan and Construction Communications at UMass Boston.
Steve Martinson, director of parking and transportation, said because parking lots A and D tend to fill up quickly, some drivers are opting out of searching for a spot; instead driving straight to the Bayside Lot.
According to Martinson, the peak times for campus traffic are between 7 a.m and 10 a.m., when most students arrive at school, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m, when most leave, and again at 4 p.m and 6 p.m. when faculty and workers leave for the day. “On the first day of classes the parking on the main campus was filled as early as 9:15 a.m,” he said.
In the meantime, Martinson ensured students that commuting to campus will not be a problem. The University has added buses to shuttle students back-and-forth between the Bayside Lot and Campus Center, and also between the Campus Center and the JFK/UMass Redline T Stop.
There are dedicated free shuttle busses that are running from 7 a.m. – 10:30 p.m. every six to seven minutes. If waiting time exceeds seven minutes the University will automatically try to add more buses, said Martinson.
Students who drive to campus are encouraged to continue to make use of the Bayside Lot, which provides 1,300 parking spaces with 20 handicapped spots.