AMHERST — With Amherst’s population about to swell with the return of thousands of college students, periodic changes to traffic patterns will take place near the University of Massachusetts campus beginning today.
An estimated 5,050 freshmen and 1,140 transfer students will start their careers at UMass in the coming days, with a total of 13,000 students moving into 52 on-campus residence halls.
First-year students will arrive today from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., transfer students will get to campus Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and returning students will show up Sunday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
During this move-in, traffic will be rerouted on several roads. Today, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., vehicles will be prohibited from traveling south on University Drive from Massachusetts Avenue to Amity Street. During this time, drivers are advised to use Route 116, Rocky Hill Road or North Pleasant Street to get to Amity Street and the southern end of University Drive.
Beginning at 7:30 a.m. both today and again on Sunday, traffic will be kept from traveling north on University Drive starting at Amity Street and on Sunset Avenue starting at Fearing Street. Regular traffic patterns will resume at 4 p.m. today and at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Also on Sunday, all traffic on Commonwealth Avenue in front of the Commonwealth Honors College will be moved to the southbound lanes for two-way travel, while the northbound lanes will be used as the unloading zone for students moving into the complex.
The return of college students brings with it potential impacts to the quality of life in residential neighborhoods throughout Amherst.
Though the first weekend usually has minimal issues caused by alcohol-fueled behavior, Police Chief Scott Livingstone said his department is already planning for significant outreach to students, including those living on Fearing Street, in North Amherst at Hobart Lane and Townehouse Apartments, and lower Main Street.
Livingstone said strategies are aimed at combating problems, including the prevalence of what are known as day drinks. “We had pretty successful semesters last fall and last spring,” Livingstone said.
Police will be disseminating copies of town bylaws surrounding loud parties and open containers of alcohol, with a table set up at the Campus Center, and will be meeting with student groups, he said.
Because the move-in will mean busy streets around Amherst, traffic control will be the main focus this weekend. “Our immediate concern is traffic,” Livingstone said, adding that because the move-in process is staggered.
Several activities will be held both on campus and off campus over the weekend before students begin their studies next week.
Among these events are the Big U tonight, a campus carnival on the Haigis Mall, and the Saturday afternoon UPlay Jamboree on the fields near the Mullins Center, where tournament-style dodgeball or kickball, or walk-on for other lawn games, will be offered. The daylong New2U Tag Sale will be held Sunday at the Student Union. The UFest campus festival on the Goodell lawn and the New Students Convocation take place Monday, where Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy officially welcomes newcomers to UMass, followed by a welcome barbecue at the Haigis Mall.
Off campus, the two-hour Adventure into Amherst begins at noon Saturday, when students gather in residential areas and walk to downtown.