What you need to know before going to the first Husker home game; Lincoln roads to avoid, where to park and more

Lincoln Transportation and Utilities today announced that Lincoln is ready to welcome visitors for another season of Nebraska football. The first of the Huskers’ seven home games starts at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 4 against Fordham University. Some street closures that will affect gameday traffic are scheduled to end after the September 11 home game.

Important reminders:

• The University of Nebraska enforces a clear bag policy at Memorial Stadium. Visit huskers.com/bagpolicy for more information.
• Visitors should lock their vehicles and move valuable items out of sight.
• Alcohol consumption is prohibited on City streets, parking lots, garages, and sidewalks, including the trail between Haymarket Park and Eighth Street.
• Alcohol consumption is prohibited on State property.
• The sale of tickets, souvenirs or other items is not allowed on City streets or sidewalks.
• Officers will issue citations for violations that inhibit the use of the street or sidewalk.
• The sale of food, flowers or balloons requires a sidewalk vendor permit.
• UNL is a smoke/tobacco-free campus.
• E-scooters will not be operable during all home games.

COVID-19:

A mask requirement is currently in effect for the city of Lincoln and Lancaster County. For more information on the Directed Health Measure (DHM) and staying safe during the pandemic, visit covid19.lincoln.ne.gov. For more information about how the DHM applies to various spaces in Memorial Stadium, visit https://huskers.com/sports/2019/8/19/211039498.aspx?id=2868.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department also strongly recommends masks in crowded outdoor settings.

Traffic resources:

• To avoid traffic and parking challenges, City officials recommend visiting lincoln.ne.gov/closures or using the Waze mobile app for maps and street construction information and using StarTran’s Big Red Express (startran.lincoln.ne.gov).
• Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, the Lincoln Police Department, the UNL Police Department and Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) work together to improve the traffic experience on game day. The City provides traffic control on Lincoln streets, while NDOT helps coordinate traffic on I-180 and I-80. Coordination efforts include traffic planning, pre- and post-game messaging, planned lane and ramp closures, and incident management.

Priority routes:

Visitors to Lincoln are encouraged to arrive early and use the following routes:

• I-80/Highway 77 (from west) – Take exit 397, follow Hwy. 77 south, take the Rosa Parks Way exit east, and follow South 10th Street into downtown
• Highway 77 (from south) – Take the Rosa Parks Way exit east, and follow South 10th Street into downtown
• I-80/Cornhusker Hwy. (from east) – Take exit 409, follow Cornhusker Hwy. and turn south on State Fair Park Drive and continue west on Salt Creek Roadway
• I-80/I-180 – Take exit 401a, merge onto I-180 south, then merge onto Ninth Street. Expect delays using this route.
• Lincoln residents traveling downtown from the north should follow Antelope Valley Parkway to Salt Creek Roadway. Drivers from the south should follow Normal Boulevard/Capitol Parkway to “N” Street downtown or use South 10th Street to downtown.

Street projects that may impact gameday traffic:

• North 27th Street bridge repair – lane closures between Superior Street and Cornhusker Highway
• West “O” Street bridge repair – lane closures between Sun Valley Boulevard and South First Street
• “Q” Street between North 11th and North 12th streets – southern two lanes closed
• North Antelope Valley Parkway from Saunders Avenue to Military Road will have lane reductions from mid-September through mid-October.

Traffic Tips:

• Those using I-80 who plan to park in the Haymarket Park lots will experience less congestion if they enter Lincoln using the airport exit 399. Travelers should then follow Cornhusker Highway, go south on Antelope Valley Parkway, and go west on Salt Creek Roadway.
• Stadium Drive west of the stadium will be closed to all vehicles. Passenger drop-off and pick-up will not be allowed in front of the stadium before or after the game.
• Uber, Lyft and taxi drop-off and pickup will be located at the bus stop in front of Henzlik Hall, 1430 Vine St.
• Charter buses will park on “W” Street between 14th and 16th streets.
• 17th Street from “R” to Vine streets on the UNL City Campus is closed.
• Vine Street from North Antelope Valley Parkway to 16th Street on the UNL City Campus has a traffic lane change affecting eastbound and westbound lanes. The bike lane is closed in each direction.

Downtown notes:

Visitors entering Lincoln on southbound I-180/Ninth Street, must use “N” Street and Pinnacle Arena Drive to access the Haymarket, the Haymarket parking garages and Pinnacle Bank Arena. To improve traffic flow, the following changes will be in effect before and after the games:

• Two hours before kickoff, southbound Ninth Street will be closed starting at the roundabout at Ninth Street and Salt Creek Roadway near Memorial Stadium. The street will reopen once vehicles have left the stadium area after the game.
• Three hours before kickoff, “R”, “Q” and “P” streets will be closed to traffic from Ninth Street. Drivers coming from I-180 will have to use “N” Street to access the Haymarket area.
• Salt Creek Roadway will have lane restrictions at 14th Street to better manage traffic congestion.
• 16th Street from Vine to “Q” streets will be closed to northbound traffic postgame.
• Postgame traffic on northbound 10th Street from “Q” to “T” streets will be restricted to I-180. No traffic will be allowed to go past the stadium on 10th Street. The street will reopen once pedestrians have left the stadium area after the game.
• Following the game, southbound traffic on North 10th Street south of Charleston Street will be closed.
• Following the game, for those that have parked in the Haymarket garages, Seventh Street from “N” to “M” streets will be one-way southbound and “M” Street from Seventh to Ninth streets will be a one-way eastbound.
• The Haymarket Farmers Market area will close from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. every Saturday through October 9. North Seventh and Eighth streets as well as Canopy Street will close from “P” to “Q” streets. “P” Street will close from Seventh to Eighth streets and “Q” Street will close from Seventh to Canopy streets.

City parking:

Parking meters are enforced Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and are operated with coins, credit cards, or the PassportParking app. Most meters are $1.25/hour and 10-hour meters are $.75/hour. The following fine system is in effect:

• If the ticket is paid online within seven days from when it is written, the fine is $9.
• If the ticket is paid in person or through the mail within seven days, the fine is $10.
• If the ticket is paid after seven days, the fine is $25 in person or by mail or $24 online.

Visitors may park at any meter all day for only $15 using the PassportParking app available at https://qrco.de/bcICCF, and entering “Zone 90.”

Visitors can reserve reduced-price, pre-paid football parking in the Haymarket and other City garages and lots through parkandgo.org. Limited parking is available for $25 in the VIP Parking Garage attached to the southwest side of Pinnacle Bank Arena. City parking areas include:

• County-City lots – South (701 S. 10th) and West (802 “J”) – $20 on site and $15 online
• County-City lots – North (10th and “K”) – $20 on site and $20 online
• Carriage Park (1120 “L”), Cornhusker Square (1220 “L”) and Center Park (1100 “N”) – $25 on site, $20 online
• Haymarket (9th and “Q”), Lincoln Station South (Seventh and “P”), Market Place (10th and “Q”), Que Place (1111 “Q”), Green 2 (530 “P”), Blue 3 (535 “P”), University Square (101 N. 14th), West Depot lot (676 “O”), Lumberworks (700 “N”) – $30 on site, $25 online
• Red 1 (555 “R”), Larson Building (1317 “Q”) – $30 on site, $30 online
• Sun Valley Boulevard and Charleston Street lot near Oak Lake Park – vehicle parking is $10 on site and online; RV parking is $60 on site and $60 online
• 14th and New Hampshire streets lot – vehicle parking is $20 on site and $20 online, and RV parking is $100 on site and online.
• 1318 “M” Street garage – $25 on site only
• 233 S. 14th Street lot – $30 on site only

Grills are not allowed in City garages. Grills are allowed in the lots at 14th and New Hampshire streets and Sun Valley Boulevard/Charleston Street. Visitors planning to stay Friday night on City property must purchase their parking online and display the permit in their RV overnight.

University parking:

The University accepts credit and debit cards and cash. Grills are not allowed in the garages at 14th Street and Avery Avenue, 17th and “R” streets, and 19th and Vine streets. Parking is available at the following University areas on game days:

• 17th and “R” streets garage – $25 day of game
• 19th and Vine streets garage – $25 day of game
• 14th Street and Avery Avenue garage, limited space – $25 day of game
• 15th and Vine streets – $25
• 1410 “Q” St. – $25
• 16th and “X” streets – $25
• 17th and Vine streets – $25 day of game
• Anderson Hall, 16th Street between “P” and “Q” streets – $25
• Beadle Center, 19th Street north of “S” St. – $25
• 519 N. 19th Street, between “S” and “U” streets – $25
• 900 N. 22nd St. – $20
• 22nd and Vine streets – $20
• 1700 “Y” St. – $25
• 14th and Court streets – $10
• 16th and Court streets – $10
• 14th Street and Military Road – $10

Handicap accessible parking is available for $25 per vehicle at the following locations.

• 14th and “R” streets
• 14th Street and Avery Avenue garage, with free cart shuttle
• 14th and “U” streets, east of Morrill Hall
• 14th Street between Vine and “W” streets, free on-street parking where available

Towing:

• Vehicles blocking driveways, parked too close to intersections, parked on public right-of-way, or interfering with vehicle or pedestrian traffic will be towed. Vehicles will also be subject to towing if parked on job sites, driving lanes on streets, and in new construction/unfinished areas.
• Visitors are reminded to be attentive to temporary and permanent signs prohibiting parking in the neighborhoods near Memorial Stadium.
• Vehicles towed by order of the Police or a Parking Control Officer are subject to a $50 towing fine in addition to the $49.53 required to retrieve a vehicle from the impoundment lot. The towing fine does not apply to cars towed from private lots. Vehicles towed from private property may be subject to higher fees.

Cycling notes:

• The “N” Street Cycle Track is a protected bikeway for the exclusive use of cyclists on the south side of “N” Street from 23rd Street to Arena Drive.
• Downtown bike lanes are on 14th Street from “L” to “R” streets and on 11th Street from “Q” to “D” streets.
• Bike lanes are now open on Vine and 16th streets on the UNL City Campus.
• City Ordinance prohibits bicycle riding on sidewalks in certain downtown areas. Visit http://online.encodeplus.com/regs/lincoln-ne/doc-viewer.aspx?secid=9288#secid-9288 to learn more.
• Bike UNL offers free bike valet service for all home games. Cyclists can drop off their bikes two hours prior to kickoff at the Outdoor Adventures Center, 930 North 14th Street, near 14th and “W” streets. The service also accepts returns of BikeLNK bicycles from the City bike share program. All bikes must be picked up within one hour after the game. For more information on the bike valet service, visit bike.unl.edu/bikevalet or call 402-472-4777. For more information on BikeLNK, visit bikelnk.bcycle.com or call 402-807-2005.

Big Red Express:

In addition to its regular routes, StarTran will provide its Big Red Express service on game days starting two hours before kickoff from four locations:

• Southeast Community College, 88th and “O” streets, south parking lot
• Gateway Mall, 61st and “O” streets, southeast parking area at Sears
• SouthPointe Pavilions, 27th and Pine Lake Road, south of Von Maur
• North Star High School, 5801 N. 33rd St., take I-80 exit 403, follow North 27th Street south and turn left onto Folkways Boulevard.

Buses will drop off and depart from “R” Street between 12th and 14th streets. The last bus will leave the lot 45 minutes prior to kickoff. Passengers are currently required to wear a mask when riding on buses. The cost is $5 each way, and exact change is required. No bills larger than $20 will be accepted. Electronic signs will help direct fans to the Big Red Express locations near the interstate.

Big Red Express season tickets, good for round-trip travel for all home games, are available for $50, a $20 savings, at StarTran, 710 “J” Street, or at the lots on game day. Tickets also can be purchased via smart phone by texting “TOKEN” to 41411 to receive a download link. For more information, call 402-476-1234 or visit transit.lincoln.ne.gov.