With Tallahassee hosting its first two home games of the season this Labor Day weekend, officials have prepared traffic advisories for fans.
Florida A&M University will play South Carolina State at 6 p.m. Saturday at Bragg Stadium, and Florida State will face Boston College at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Doak Campbell Stadium. Here’s everything you need to know about traffic, road closures and more.
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Traffic on FAMU game day
The Tallahassee and Florida A&M University Police Departments have prepared for a safe and enjoyable FAMU football game. During home games, Bragg Stadium will experience altered traffic patterns, which may impact surrounding areas.
TPD will coordinate pre- and post-game traffic control and road closures will begin two hours prior to the game.
There will be traffic disruptions at the following locations:
• Althea Gibson Way (formerly Wahnish Way) and Robert & Trudie Perkins Way• Perry Street and Robert & Trudie Perkins Way• Boosters are permitted south of the two road closures mentioned above.• Perry and Okaloosa Street (no northbound traffic)• Althea Gibson Way and Okaloosa Street
Fans are asked to arrive early and expect delays. Please follow police instructions on the way to and from the game.
TPD will also close streets during Frenchtown Rising, which takes place the Friday night before each home game. For the event, Macomb Street will be closed from Carolina Street to Brevard Street from noon to 1 a.m.
FAMU and FSU will have a joint home game on November 2. There will be heavy traffic before and after the games, especially on Tennessee Street, West Pensacola Street, South Monroe Street, Gaines Street, Lake Bradford Road and Orange Avenue. Everyone is advised to allow extra time for travel to arrive at the game on time.
A separate announcement will be released with specific information about FAMU Homecoming.
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Traffic on FSU game day
The Tallahassee and FSU Police Departments work to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for the thousands of visitors who come to home games. To help visitors plan their visit, information on game day traffic patterns in the downtown area is provided below.
FSU Prelude
Fans are asked to use the following streets to access parking on and around the FSU campus. • Coming from the north, use Stadium Drive for parking on the west side of Doak Campbell Stadium and Macomb or Bronough Street to Pensacola Street for parking on the east side of Doak Campbell. • Coming from the east, use Pensacola Street for parking on the east side of the stadium and Gaines Street for parking on the west side of the stadium. • Coming from the west, use Pensacola Street or Tennessee Street to Stadium Drive for parking on the west side of the stadium and Tennessee Street to Macomb Street for parking on the east side of the stadium. • Coming from the south, use Lake Bradford Road.
Traffic lights along Pensacola Street between Duval Street and Chieftan Way will be set to “blink” prior to the game to give priority to westbound traffic toward Doak Campbell Stadium. Tallahassee Police Department officers will be on duty along this stretch two hours prior to the game. Traffic lights at intersections near Doak Campbell Stadium may be controlled by TPD up to six hours prior to game time.
Motorists traveling through the area and not heading to the game should expect delays due to traffic control beginning two hours before kickoff until approximately 30 minutes after kickoff (not including weather-related delays), particularly along Macomb and Copeland Streets. If possible, motorists are encouraged to use Ocala Road and Monroe Street for north-south travel to avoid pregame traffic control near Doak Campbell Stadium.
November 2nd features a home game between Florida State University and Florida A&M University, and is also FAMU’s homecoming game. There will be heavy traffic before and after the games, especially on Tennessee Street, Pensacola Street, South Monroe Street, Gaines Street, Lake Bradford Road, and Orange Avenue. Fans are advised to allow extra time to travel to arrive at the games on time.
Seminole Booster Parking
Seminole Booster parking locations are (see boosters.fsu.edu for a full map):
• General admission seats: 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 12, 13, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25-29• Reserved booster seats: 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 on Pensacola Street. If you are parking in Booster Lots 2, 3, 4 or 18, please approach the stadium from the east on Gaines Street or from the west on Pensacola Street. If you are parking in Booster Lots 25 or 13, the most direct route is West Tennessee Street to Woodward Avenue.
All traffic not in the booster parking lot is asked to use either Tennessee Street or Lake Bradford Road to check for general parking directions using the free SeminoleSafe app (see below for more information on the app).
For further assistance navigating the area, fans can download the Waze Traffic app through SeminoleSafe. All game day, pre- and post-game traffic routes are input into the app to provide the most direct routes while taking into account detours, closures and congestion.
FSU Pensacola Street Pedestrian Tunnel
The pedestrian tunnel at the intersection of Pensacola St. and Stadium Drive is closed to the public due to construction. Access to campus is available in two ways:
• Go north on Stadium Drive, cross the street and head east on Spirit Way until you eventually turn south on Chieftan Way. • Go south on Hayden Road, then go east on the sidewalk that runs along the Arrowhead Apartments and then down Stadium Drive, crossing the street at Hendry Street.
FSU EZ Event Ride
Seminole Boosters will provide Game Day Courtesy Carts for those who need assistance getting from their assigned parking spot to Doak. Game Day Courtesy Carts will be available throughout the day and will stop at each parking spot periodically for fans to utilize.
FSU aftermath
After the game ends, Pensacola Street east of the stadium will be reconstructed so that it is only accessible to traffic heading east from the stadium.
• Traffic lights along Pensacola Street from Champions Way to Duval Street will “blink” to give priority to eastbound traffic.• St. Augustine Street between Varsity Drive and South Monroe Street will continue to be one-way for eastbound traffic only and will continue over Apalachee Parkway to divert additional traffic away from the stadium.• A detour will be in place to allow fans leaving the game on Madison Street to continue continuously over Apalachee Parkway.• Southbound traffic on Monroe Street will be diverted east via College Avenue, south via Franklin Blvd./East Lafayette Street and west via Gaines Street back to Monroe Street.• Northbound traffic on Monroe Street will be diverted east via Gaines Street, north via East Lafayette Street/Franklin Blvd. and westbound on College Avenue back to Monroe Street.• Fans traveling east on Gaines Street away from the stadium will be diverted southbound on Monroe Street.
To give fans priority when exiting the area after the game, northbound traffic will not be permitted on Springhill Road/Lake Bradford Road from FAMU Way to Gaines Street, and southbound traffic will not be permitted on Stadium Drive from Tennessee Street.
Motorists traveling through the area should expect delays due to traffic control beginning in the fourth quarter until approximately one hour after the game ends (not including weather-related delays), particularly along Macomb, Copeland, Duval, Bronough and Monroe roads. Motorists wishing to avoid postgame traffic, particularly traveling north-south, should use Ocala Road and Monroe Street.
Collaboration on upcoming games
The City of Tallahassee and Florida State University participate in numerous meetings in the spring to prepare for football season. Here are some of the initiatives for the games:
• TPD will coordinate all traffic signals along Pensacola, Saint Augustine, Madison, Gaines, Stadium and Duval Streets and Lake Bradford Road.• Speed bumps have been posted along Pensacola Street, St. Augustine Street and Jefferson Street to increase pedestrian safety on and near campus.• A gate has been installed at the corner of Varsity Drive and St. Augustine Street for Lot 14 (Intramural Fields). This will allow for better pedestrian access.• Additional signage will be posted in several locations. Banners will be hung along Pensacola Street and additional signs will be posted along all routes.• TPD will take up post along Pensacola Street two hours prior to the game. TPD will also assume control of the traffic lights and intersections once all personnel are on site.
Fans are asked to arrive early and expect delays. Please follow police instructions on the way to and from the game.
FAMU and FSU have a joint home game on November 2nd: FSU vs. North Carolina (time to be announced) and FAMU vs. Texas Southern (home game) at 4 p.m.
SeminoleSafe App
The SeminoleSafe app is the official mobile safety tool of Florida State University. Fans can access the SeminoleSafe app under the GAME DAY GUIDE tab to receive real-time updates and additional information about home games, from direct directions to their assigned booster or general parking spot, policies and instructions on clear bags, prohibited items in the stadium and real-time weather data on campus.
