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The home opener for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers takes place tomorrow evening at Investors Group Field. Many improvements, including dedicated bus lanes, have been made by the City of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Football Club over the past week in an effort to keep traffic moving to and from Investors Group Field. Some congestion is still to be expected, however, and those travelling to the University of Manitoba to work, study or attend class, are asked to plan their route accordingly. Some things to remember are:

1. Parking restrictions begin at 6 p.m. but football fans are expected to arrive earlier. The Event Day Transportation and Parking Plan goes into effect 90 minutes before the opening ceremonies begin at 7:30 p.m. Winnipeg Football Club personnel will be out helping guide early incoming traffic to appropriate parking lots.

2. Vehicles with U of M parking permits can park in assigned lots beginning at 4:30 p.m. Those vehicles with U of M parking permits can begin parking in the assigned U of M lots beginning at 4:30 p.m. and must be vacated from all other lots by 6 p.m. The assigned lots for U of M permit parkers are: A Lot, B Lot, L Lot, AC Lot (southeast corner of Freedman Crescent), CTC Lot at the Crop Technology Centre

3. Vehicles without a valid parking pass must move off campus by 6 p.m. Parking permits are not required between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. in most university parking lots, however all vehicles without a U of M parking permit must be moved off campus by 6 p.m.

4. Kings Drive entrance is reserved after 6 p.m. for U of M students, faculty and staff. Students, faculty and staff with U of M parking permits are asked to enter and exit the campus via Kings Drive beginning at 6 p.m. Having a dedicated entrance is intended to cut down on wait times for members of the U of M community when accessing or exiting campus.

We are encouraging accessing campus for parking as well as drop offs thru Kings Drive prior to 6 p.m. to avoid any early Event Day traffic.

5. Winnipeg Transit will be running as scheduled. Winnipeg Transit has increased its fleet to and from the University. Regularly scheduled buses will continue to stop on campus before, during and after the game. Winnipeg Transit will monitor and add buses to the regularly scheduled routes as required.

6. City of Winnipeg Traffic Services

As early as 3:30 you will see City of Winnipeg Traffic Services setting up traffic flow changes for the event. Winnipeg Police Services will be assisting with traffic control beginning at 4:30 p.m. on University Crescent. We are working to ensure that students, staff and faculty who are scheduled to be on campus during an event can access and exit from campus in an efficient way. We ask for your patience, as well as your input, as we continue to improve the event day experience for members of our community.

Further information, including answers to some frequently asked questions, can be found at: http://investorsgroupfield.ca/university/ The university's Parking Services website also has relevant information. You can find it here: http://umanitoba.ca/campus/parking/igf.html

For event day reminders and updates please follow @UMoutstanding on Twitter.

The next two event days are July 19 and July 26, both Friday evening football games that begin at 7 p.m.

Thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate this opening season at Investors Group Field.

I encourage all of you to take in an event at the new stadium. Having superior spaces like Investors Group Field serve the students, staff and faculty of our university, making for a more dynamic, innovative and community-focused campus.

Andrew Konowalchuk Associate Vice-President (Administration)

---- Tannis Campbell Manager, Office of the Associate Vice-President (Admin.) University of Manitoba 202 Administration Building Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Phone: (204) 474-7822 Fax: (204) 261-1318