The North lot will be closed this January to make way for the construction of the $113 million General Academic Building (GAB) No.1. The Bayside lot will be open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. to make up for the loss of parking spaces. A free shuttle will run from Bayside to the Campus Center with the same regularity as the shuttle from the JFK T stop to campus.
Director of Transportation Steve Martinson and Director of Communications Dewayne Lehman are encouraging students to make Bayside their lot of choice in the spring semester. “We know there will always be parking available in that lot because it houses 1300 spaces” Lehman said. “Considering the shuttle service, it should save students time and gas to park at Bayside instead of driving around the circle looking for a closer spot.”
The parking garage under the Campus Center will remain open, though the current entrance will be closed and the current exit will serve as both entrance and exit.
Traffic around the circle is expected to increase as construction gets underway. Lehman explained that the university will do its best to see that necessary deliveries will be made during non-peak hours of student traffic. He also pointed out that use of the Bayside lot would reduce traffic around the circle.
Director of Master Planning Communications Holly Sutherland will continue to write construction updates on the GAB No. 1 which can be found on the UMass Boston website and in UMass Boston emails. In addition, Sutherland is planning to meet with the Graduate Student Assembly and the Undergraduate Student Government to gain input from the students on how to best manage the changes that the construction will impose on students’ daily commutes.
The GPS app that shows the position of the shuttle buses and their estimated arrival times will also display the route and arrival time of the shuttles traveling to and from the Bayside Lot. This application also has an alert system that the transportation department will use to make students aware of possible disruptions to their commute. The app can be found at transloc.com.
The groundbreaking ceremony for GAB No. 1 is scheduled for Feb. 27, 2013, but the North lot will already look very different by that date. There will be a lot of earth-moving to raise the building above sea level. Steel piles driven into bedrock will support the building. Both the administration and the contractors have a vested interest in securing the site and ensuring the safety of students. The contractors must work within Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines on air and noise pollution.
The administration encourages UMass Boston community members to contact [email protected] or 617 287-4000 if they have questions or concerns.