Mississippi State: Tackling campus traffic during football season

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi State kicks off its football season at home on September 2.

Thousands will be making their way to Davis Wade Stadium, but getting there requires a unique strategy.

Are you ready for football? Well, pack your patience. With Limited parking tomorrow, “this” is probably your best option. We spoke with the MSU Transportation Department, which anticipates more people than parking spots.

“We have parking officers and other employees who are there to help direct people to their parking lot, whether it is a reserved lot or paid lot so that those who are not bulldog club members can pay to park on campus on game day,” Executive Director of Transportation at MSU Jeremiah Dumas said.

Parking will cost $10 on the outskirts of campus and $30 on the core of campus on game day. Dumas said if that parking is out, there is another option.

“There are places where you can park in town, and there are certain areas that also make you pay to park, but you can find some areas around town, especially with our smart system,” Dumas said.

The S.M.A.R.T provides free shuttle service from different parts of town to campus on game day, and technology is helping to provide updates in real time.

“From the Walmart supercenter to anywhere along those north and south routes, they will pick you up and bring you to campus and they run until two hours post-game,” Dumas said.

And for drivers who rely heavily on their GPS, just pay close attention to what’s ahead on game day.

“As we close the road for various events on campus, they don’t use the signage we provide to give them instructions. They are following their maps on their phone,” Dumas said.

Dumas said you can plan ahead by downloading the TRANSLOC app to track the S.M.A.R.T transit and by also studying.

For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter