CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Virginia plays its second Friday night home football game of the season and the university is spreading the word about changes to parking policies and warning of an expected uptick in traffic as normal weekday drivers mix with game-day ones.
With a 7 p.m. kickoff against ACC foe Duke, certain university parking lots will need to be cleared in advance, the school announced. The Scott Stadium Health Commuter Lot must be vacated by 1 p.m. Friday, the Hereford Drive Upper and Lower Lots by 2 p.m., and the rest of the academic lots around the stadium by 3 p.m., according to an announcement on UVA’s website. Alternate parking will be available at John Paul Jones and the Emmet/Ivy Garage.
UVA Transit’s Green, Gold, Orange, and Silver Lines, as well as UVA FlexRide, will all end service at 4 p.m. UVA Health Team members arriving 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. are being instructed to park in the JPJ garage and ride the modified purple line JPJ Health Commuter. They can also park from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Fontaine parking garage and ride that same purple line.
The University also warned people to expect heavy traffic toward the end of the day at Fontaine as fans arrive for the game.
Fans can park for free at Fontaine and JPJ, as well as The Park. Shuttles to Scott Stadium for the pre-game “Wahoo Walk” will begin after UVA Transit concludes. Purple Lot JPJ shuttles start at 4 p.m., and shuttles from the Red Lots at Fontaine and the Blue Lots at The Park and D3 begin at 5 p.m.
Paid parking is in the Central Grounds, South, and Emmett/Ivy garages beginning at 5 p.m.
Free parking in the JPJ/Purple Lots are open all day Friday for parking, and additional free parking in the Fontaine/Red & North Grounds/Blue Lots will be open at 5 p.m. VAF Lots open for permit holders at 4:45 p.m.
As traffic begins to pick up on Fontaine, JPA, Ivy, and Emmet toward the University beginning between 4-5 p.m., UVA advises motorists to either allow extra time or find other routes.
UVA Athletics Marketing and Promotions expects a crowd of over 40,000 Friday night. That’s less than the 62,000 Aug. 29 sellout for the season-opening win over North Carolina State. On that night, free parking at Fontaine and JPJ reached capacity.
After a 3-1 start to the season, the Cavaliers have lost two of their last three games. Friday’s matchup with Duke is a rematch of last year’s ACC championship game, won by the Blue Devils.
