Road closures, parking and transit impacts for University of Iowa Homecoming Parade
More than 15,000 Hawkeye fans will line the streets of
Downtown Iowa City on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, for the annual University of Iowa
Homecoming Parade.
The parade will begin at 5:45 p.m., but expect street
closures, parking restrictions and changes to the City’s transit routes earlier
in the day.
Drivers should be aware of continued construction on Dubuque
Street, and should consider taking an alternate route before and after the parade.
Delays during heavy traffic can vary from 15-to-30 minutes.
Traffic in the Downtown area will be heavy beginning around
3 p.m. as parade entries and attendees arrive. Commuters and other drivers who
do not plan to attend the parade are advised to plan ahead and find alternate
routes out of Downtown to help avoid delays.
Parade Route
The parade will begin at the intersection of Washington and
Gilbert Streets, proceeding west on Washington Street, then turn north on Clinton Street, east on Jefferson
Street, south on Dubuque Street,
then east on Iowa Avenue, and finish where Iowa Avenue intersects with Gilbert
Street.
A map of the 2017 University of Iowa Homecoming Parade route.
Street closures
At 4 p.m. on Friday:
Van Buren Street, between Market and
College
Johnson Street, between Market and
Burlington
College Street, between Van Buren and
Dodge
Washington Street, between Gilbert and
Dodge
Iowa Avenue, between Gilbert and Dodge
Jefferson Street, between Gilbert and
Dodge
At 4:30 p.m. on Friday:
Clinton Street, between Market and
College
Dubuque Street, between Jefferson and
Washington
Washington Street, between Clinton and
Gilbert
Iowa Avenue, between Clinton and Gilbert
At 5:30 p.m. on Friday:
Gilbert Street, between Market and
College
Jefferson Street, between Madison and
Gilbert
Most streets will reopen immediately following the parade
around 7:30 p.m., but Clinton Street, between Washington and Jefferson Street,
and Iowa Avenue, between Clinton and Dubuque Streets, will remain closed for
the Homecoming Coronation and a concert on the Pentacrest.
Parking
Parking will be impacted on parade day.
No parking
No Parking signs will be placed along the parade route and inside the staging area, with some set up as early as noon. Others will be implemented at 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Vehicles parked in no parking areas will be towed.
Watch closely for these signs to avoid tickets and towing, which will begin as early as 12:30 p.m.
Owners whose cars have been towed will need to obtain a vehicle release from the Iowa City Police Department, City Hall, 410 E. Washington St.
Parade impacted parking ramps
Tower Place Parking Ramp, 335 Iowa Ave., will close at 5 p.m., no longer allowing vehicles to enter or exit. Vehicles need to be out by 5 p.m. or risk having to stay until the parade ends.
People parked in the lower level of the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp, 452 E. College St., will need to exit on the south side through the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center parking lot.
Spectator parking
All City of Iowa City parking ramps, except Tower Place, will be open and operate normally during the parade. Ramps near the parade route fill up quickly, consider parking in the Harrison Street ramp, 175 E. Harrison St.
Spectators can also pay for parking with their smartphones, by downloading the PassportParking app. Use it wherever PassportParking signs are displayed, including on and off street spaces, and inside the Chauncey Swan and Harrison Street parking ramps.
Accessible parking and seating
An area near the intersection of Jefferson and Clinton Streets, on the Pentacrest side of the street, has been set aside for accessible seating. Vehicles picking-up and dropping-off spectators who plan to use this area, may be able to park adjacent to the closed section of Jefferson Street, located west of the intersection, and Clinton Street, located north of the intersection, as space allows.
Transit
Iowa City Transit will make operational changes on Friday to accommodate the parade.
Starting at 6 a.m., the bus interchange will move from the intersection of Washington and Clinton Streets to a temporary location on Court Street, adjacent to the Court Street Transportation Center between Clinton and Dubuque Streets. This change will be in place all day Friday. Normal bus service will resume Saturday.
The last Northside shuttle of the day will depart the alternate interchange on Court Street at 2:45 p.m. and will follow its normal route.
The last Southside shuttle will depart the alternate interchange on Court Street at 3:30 p.m.
The outbound bus stops located at Washington and Linn Streets (stop 7200), Washington and Gilbert Streets (stop 7201), Clinton and Jefferson Streets (stop 7400), and Jefferson and Linn Street (stop 7401) will be closed to bus service all day on Friday.
The inbound bus stops located at Mercy Hospital (stop 7443), Market and Linn Streets (stop 7206) and Clinton and Jefferson Streets (stop 7207) will also be closed.
Customers who normally use closed stops should catch their buses at the alternate interchange on Court Street.
Closed stops will re-open on Saturday.
Additional Information
Iowa City Police urge parents or guardians of young children to keep a close eye on them throughout the parade, and keep them within an arm’s length.
For questions about parking and transit, call 319-356-5151. For all other City related questions, contact City of Iowa City Communications Coordinator Shannon McMahon at 319-356-5058 or shannon-mcmahon@iowa-city.org.
For details about the Homecoming parade and other festivities, visit homecoming.uiowa.edu.
