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The Municipality of Tallahassee and Florida State University law enforcement agencies are actively striving to ensure a secure and pleasant experience for the multitude of attendees enjoying the home football contests. Below is the outlined information regarding the traffic patterns on game day around the downtown area to aid visitors in planning their trip.
Pre-Game
Attendees are encouraged to make use of the following roadways for accessing parking in and around FSU’s campus.
- From the north, utilize Stadium Drive for parking on the western side of Doak Campbell Stadium and Macomb or Bronough streets to Pensacola Street for parking on the eastern side of Doak Campbell.
- From the east, take Pensacola Street for the lot located on the eastern side of the stadium and Gaines Street for lots situated on the western side of the stadium.
- From the west, use Pensacola Street or Tennessee Street to Stadium Drive for lots on the western side of the stadium and Tennessee Street to Macomb Street for lots on the eastern side of the Stadium.
- From the south, utilize Lake Bradford Road.
The traffic signals along Pensacola Street between Duval Street and Chieftan Way will be set to “flash” before the game, prioritizing westbound flow towards Doak Campbell Stadium. Officers from the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) will be stationed along this path three hours preceding the game. Traffic signals at nearby intersections might be managed by TPD as early as six hours before kickoff.
Drivers passing through the vicinity who are not attending the game should anticipate delays due to the traffic control arrangement from two hours prior to kickoff until roughly 30 minutes post-kickoff (excluding weather-related delays), especially on Macomb and Copeland streets. If feasible, drivers are advised to opt for Ocala Road and Monroe Street for north-south travel to bypass the pre-game traffic pattern approaching Doak Campbell Stadium.
On Oct. 11 and Nov. 1, home games are scheduled at both Florida State and Florida A&M universities. Vehicle traffic will be significant, particularly on Tennessee Street, Pensacola Street, South Monroe Street, Gaines Street, Lake Bradford Road, and Orange Avenue before and after the games. Attendees are recommended to allocate extra time for travel to guarantee timely arrival at the games.
The stadium gates will open two hours prior to all games except for the season opener against Alabama.
FSU-Alabama Game Day Operations
Standard game day operations will be modified exclusively for the Alabama game. Parking lots will open earlier than usual. Most gates (all except Gate J, H, and K) will open three hours before kickoff at 12:30 p.m. Gates J, H, and K will open at 1:30 p.m. following Legacy Walk. Gates M and L will open three hours before, but entry will be halted briefly before and after Legacy Walk to permit the team’s entry into the stadium.
Seminole Booster Parking
Parking lots for Seminole Boosters are (visit boosters.fsu.edu for a complete map):
- General Admission Lots: 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 12, 13, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25-29
- Reserved Booster Lots: 2-6, 8
If you are parking in Seminole Booster lots 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, or 14, please approach the stadium from the east via Pensacola Street. If you are parking in Booster lots 2, 3, 4, or 18, please approach the stadium from the east via Gaines Street or from the west via Pensacola Street. For those parking in Booster lots 25 or 13, the most direct route is via West Tennessee Street to Woodward Avenue. All traffic not utilizing Booster lots is encouraged to navigate using either Tennessee Street or Lake Bradford Road, seeking general parking guidance through the free SeminoleSafe App (more information on the app below).
For additional navigation assistance, fans can download the Waze Traffic App via SeminoleSafe. All game day traffic routes, including pregame and postgame, are included in the app to provide the most direct paths while considering detours, closures, and congestion.
Pensacola Street Pedestrian Tunnel
The pedestrian tunnel at the junction of Pensacola Street and Stadium Drive will be accessible for the Alabama game but will close for the second game against East Texas A&M due to construction. The tunnel will reopen for the third game against Kent State and will remain accessible for the remainder of the season, according to construction crews and Seminole Boosters.
Flex Tram
Seminole Boosters will offer Game Day Courtesy Carts for individuals needing assistance reaching Doak from their designated lot. Game Day Courtesy carts will be available throughout the day and will periodically stop at every lot for fans to use.
Post-Game
Following the conclusion of the game, Pensacola Street east of the stadium will be rerouted to allow one-way traffic for eastbound vehicles only, departing from the stadium.
- Traffic signals along Pensacola Street from Champions Way to Duval Street will flash to give priority to vehicles heading eastbound.
- St. Augustine Street between Varsity Drive and South Monroe Street will also continue to permit one-way traffic for eastbound vehicles only and lead out to Apalachee Parkway, facilitating the flow of additional traffic away from the stadium.
- A detour will be set up to ensure that fans leaving the game on Madison Street can continuously flow towards Apalachee Parkway.
- Southbound traffic on Monroe Street will be directed to proceed east on College Avenue, south on Franklin Blvd./East Lafayette Street, and west on Gaines Street back to Monroe Street.
- Northbound traffic on Monroe Street will be rerouted east on Gaines Street, north on East Lafayette Street/Franklin Blvd., and west on College Avenue back to Monroe Street.
- Fans departing the stadium on Gaines Street eastbound will be directed south onto Monroe Street.
To ensure fans have priority in exiting the area after the game, northbound vehicles will not be permitted on Springhill Road/Lake Bradford Road from FAMU Way to Gaines Street, nor will southbound vehicles be permitted on Stadium Drive from Tennessee Street.
Drivers traveling through the area should anticipate delays due to the traffic control pattern from a certain point in the fourth quarter until approximately one hour after the game ends (weather delays excluded), especially along the routes of Macomb, Copeland, Duval, Bronough, and Monroe streets. Drivers aiming to avoid post-game traffic, particularly for north-south travel, are advised to utilize Ocala Road and Monroe Street.
Collaboration
The Municipality of Tallahassee and Florida State University engage in numerous meetings during spring in preparation for the football season. The following are a few initiatives for the games:
- TPD will coordinate with all traffic signals along Pensacola, St. Augustine, Madison, Gaines, Stadium, and Duval streets, as well as Lake Bradford Road.
- Speed bumps have been installed along Pensacola Street, St. Augustine Street, and Jefferson Street to improve pedestrian safety on and near campus.
- A gate has been established at the intersection of Varsity Drive and St. Augustine Street for Lot 14 (Intramural Fields) to facilitate improved pedestrian access.
- Additional signage will be displayed at various locations. Banners will be hung along Pensacola Street, and further signs will be placed along all routes.
- TPD will have personnel stationed along Pensacola Street three hours prior to the game. TPD will also manage the signals and intersections once all personnel are in position.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and plan for potential delays. Please adhere to instructions from law enforcement while traveling to and from the game.
FAMU and FSU will share home game days on Oct. 11: FSU vs. Pitt (Time TBD) and FAMU vs. NC Central at 3 p.m.; as well as Nov. 1: FSU vs. Wake Forest (Time TBD) and FAMU vs. Jackson State at 7 p.m.
SeminoleSafe App
The SeminoleSafe App serves as the official mobile safety tool for Florida State University. Fans can consult the SeminoleSafe App under the tab GAME DAY GUIDE for real-time updates and supplementary information regarding home football games, ranging from direct turn-by-turn directions to designated Booster or general parking areas, clear bag regulations and guidelines, prohibited items within the stadium, and real-time weather updates on campus.
For further Football Game Day details, visit Seminoles.com.
The post Traffic tips for a secure, enjoyable FSU football game day experience first appeared on Florida State University News.
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