Potential Main Street Closure on Football Saturdays
I did a quick search and didn't see this posted earlier. Granted this hasn't been finalilzed, but it appears the school is planning to shut down Main Street (at least part of it) near the Stadium on game days. The reasoning is mostly driven by security concerns as there is no buffer zone (normally 100 ft) from the stadium wall as it butts right up against Main Street.
Although it may be a pain for the residents near the stadium for 8 days a year and cause a bit more traffic congesion, I think this is the right move.
They're planning to close it starting three hours before kickoff, which sounds about right. Four or five hours before kickoff it still serves a purpose as a road. Two hours before kickoff it's WHY ARE WE ON THIS ROAD WE HAVEN'T MOVED FOR TEN MINUTES.
There may be rare exceptions, such as an emergency, where driving in the vicinity of the stadium on a game day might be a necessity. However i think this is smart from a prevention standpoint, and for the most part, I think anyone who gets themself into a traffic related delay on a football saturday in Ann Arbor has only themselves to blame.
The side streets near Main are easy to cut down
I live on a side street 2 blocks west of The Big House. As long as they keep Stadium open my house has a direct flow of traffic so I actually HOPE they close down main. Always looking for people to park early as well..... hope this happens!
More tailgating area!
Especially on rainy days when the golf course is closed.
That would be pretty sweet. Maybe they'll plan on showing some games on the new marquee
A huge change and restriction for a marginal increase in safety from a virtually non-existent threat.
Not a fan.
I'll have to see what they do but unless they put up jersey barricades and have guards prepared to shoot on sight, this wouldn't even stop a determined car bomber which is the only thing it is designed to stop.
detonating a huge bomb far enough away from the stadium to limit the chance of being caught. More people would die on the steps than would die from a bomb blast.
LOLGARMINPEOPLE
The interaction between pedestrians and cars on that particular stretch always scares me. Cars going fast, people darting across, people getting crowded off the sidewalk into the street. Shutting this section down for games makes a lot of sense to me.
That's going to complicate my game day drive to where I park. Either loop around a back way to the west or cut over to State St. which is another parking lot prior to games.
Echoing the sentiment, this sounds right. You shouldn't be driving on Main St. around that time, so might as well remove even the possibility of something bad happening.
To set up stands to sell stuff.
It doesn't prevent any vehicle from reaching the stadium that could before.
It actually increases the zone you have to protect from bombers on foot (like the Marathon) outside the gates because you're hearding a mass in one area.
Those side streets that are easy to get around won't be when Main is blocked off.
It's actually a clear path during game time because there is no traffic then so it can still serve the purpose as a path for business and emergency vehicles during the game...but not if it is blocked off.
It really was caused by the University's poor planning when they didn't design the upgrades without enough room streetside on the west side.
We have to stop acting out of fear to everything, especially for things that are highly unlikely to happen. Where does it stop? I'll be at the game, but there's still a whole town that exists when the game is going on.