It only took 43 years: Wolfpack Club makes move to improve Carter Finley traffic flow

Alternative Title: After 43 years, Wolfpack Club takes leadership of Athletics Department’s responsibility (again)

After last week’s game against South Carolina, SFN opened an interesting thread on the message boards asking people to share their ‘non-football’ experiences at Carter-Finley.

As a Stadium SE permit holder, I have noticed the last several years that nobody has any clue how to get out of the parking lot in a timely manner. After one game last year (FSU Thursday night game maybe?), we attempted to exit quickly and ended up sitting in the main road running between the treeline and the road that circles the stadium/RBC) for an hour without moving. Every car was trying to go this same way or exit on Westchase (towards the practice field). So finally after one of the rows cleared, I turned left towards Trinity and drove immediately out of (Gate A) with no problems.

An hour of not moving and then all of a sudden I drive straight out of the lot? How is that possible and why wasn’t everyone going out Gate A? Why were all the cars in the rows on that side of the SSE lot (closest side to Trinity) trying to go towards the practice field and/or down the main road running vertically through the parking lot?

You would think with most people parking in the same lots year after year that people would eventually have a standard plan/route for leaving the stadium. I remember after the ECU game last year the SSE lot still being a cluster&*%$ two hours after the game ended.

Everyone has stories about on this issue and apparently major problems in the Tx lot (why Tx?) and Trinity lot spurred some much needed change and planning. Here is a link to a map of Carter Finley showing all parking lots and gates. Please check the map and the instructions below so that we can all leave the parking lot as fast as possible.

An email from the Wolfpack Club this morning notes the changes and traffic flow plans for every gate at CF. The only problem that cannot be solved is Gate B. Due to pedestrian traffic crossing Trinity Rd. and Youth Center Dr, there is just no way to fix the bottleneck that occurs there every game unless a pedestrian bridge was constructed. Due to cost and potential safety issues ( see: 100 people hurt when bridge collapses at Lowes Motor Speedway), I don’t ever see that happening so Gate B should continue to cause problems. Make a note to avoid Gate B (the intersection of Youth Center and Trinity).

Other than Gate B problems, the plan sounds brilliant (How often can you describe something generated by people associated with NC State athletics as brilliant?). Blue Ridge should have much better flow with no traffic from Gate B or from the Vet School lot. If you park in the Vet school lot, then do not turn right on Hillsborough St. back towards Blue Ridge. Just head towards campus and you have access to I-440 in either direction. Improved flow from less competing traffic on Blue Ridge and Trinity Rd. should help Westchase Blvd, SSE, Tx lot and Trinity lot immensely.

The only thing I don’t quite understand is the alternating exit lane out of Tx and Trinity. However, these lots aren’t typically a problem because I am told many of these people drive over the curb directly on to Trinity avoiding the exit lane for these lots altogether.

Having read this plan in its entirety, I will pay particular attention to the SSE, Faculty, TX, and Trinity lots to see if things improve. Having implemented a satellite dish this year at our tailgate, the need to get to a sports bar to watch a particular football game has been eliminated.

Here is the email from the WPC:

Significant changes for exiting traffic after the game have been planned for the September 12th home game against Murray State. Through efforts enacted by the State Highway Patrol and McLaurin Parking, a plan has been developed that should expedite departure.

Motorists should be careful of pedestrian departures when exiting and follow the direction of the parking attendants and State Highway Patrol. All exiting corridors will be directed toward major roads and /or interstates highways allowing for directional changes if needed.

Motorist cooperation is imperative to having a successful plan.

Here are the particulars for the new egress plan:

Gate A – will be directed East on Trinity toward Blue Ridge Road – no change from the past

Gate B – will be directed south along Youth Center Road only with an officer and traffic cones at Hillsborough making all
traffic turn right

Gate C – will turn west on Trinity toward Edwards Mill – no change except these vehicles will be the only users of this
departure route

Cardinal Gibbons – will be directed out the back only and onto Trinity Road. McLaurin will provide officers to enact this
movement avoiding these vehicles from compacting Trinity Road at Edwards Mill.

Vet School Lot – will directed onto Hillsborough Street directly. This is a change from their departure onto Blue Ridge in
the past.

TX and Trinity Lots – will be devoted an alternating exit lane onto Trinity and directed to Hillsborough Street from Blue
Ridge Road. Less competing traffic on Trinity should aid this movement.

Faculty and Staff – should benefit from an enhanced flow from both Gate A and Westchase Drive.

Westchase – two lanes will be mandated (not three) to exit onto Blue Ridge Rd. making a left turn at the intersection. No
change here except- this exiting traffic will have less competition from Blue Ridge traffic. The street can only accept two lanes so only two lanes on Westchase will be allowed. The movement on this corridor should be much improved.

The emphasis of this plan is to send exiting traffic away from the stadium without sending any lanes back into other exiting traffic from the stadium.

Again, motorist cooperation is vital to the plan’s success.

Thank you and Go Pack!

N&O’s Blog on the topic