Aquia Creek Lane Construction Update – June 8, 2012

Aquia Creek Lane has opened to Mason Pond parking permit holders, university support vehicles and delivery vehicles only.  The construction fence limiting pedestrians and securing work areas is still in place.
All parking spaces on both sides of Aquia Creek Lane are marked as "No Parking" until the hand rails supporting both ADA pedestrian traffic and the ADA parking spaces are completed. We will continue to provide an ADA shuttle to/from the third level entry/exit of the Mason Pond Parking Deck until the ADA hand rails are completed. The contractor also has twelve large street lights to install.
There are still road closed signs at the entrance to Aquia Creek Lane for individuals not included in the groups outlined above who are not authorized access. We appreciate your ongoing patience during this renovation.

Disabled Access
The disabled parking spaces along Aquia Creek Lane as well as some of those on George Mason Boulevard behind Thompson Hall will be unavailable for the duration of this project. Some temporary disabled spaces are being added in a small lot on George Mason Boulevard behind Thompson Hall near the motorcycle spaces.
For those that use the disabled spaces along Aquia Creek Lane behind the Aquia Building, SUB1, and Student Apartments, you can make arrangements to park in the disabled spaces of the reserved permit areas of Mason Pond Deck(Levels 3-5). To do so, one will need a deck access card that can be obtained from the Parking Services office. One will need to bring their DMV issued disabled registration card(which must be in the name of the Mason permit holder) in order to be granted the deck access and must display their Mason parking permit and DMV issued disabled placard when parking in the deck.
From the Mason Pond Deck, Parking Services will have golf cart service to transport those disabled parkers that normally park along Aquia Creek Lane to nearby buildings. In order to use the golf cart service as an employee or student, one must register first with the Ruth Townsend, Mason’s ADA Coordinator and Associate Director of Equity and Diversity Services.  Ruth can be contacted at  rtownse2@gmu.edu. Once registered, users will be provided instructions on how to request use of the golf cart service.

Metro Access will not be able to pick up and drop off along Aquia Creek Lane. The alternate drop off will be Finley Hall. There is a small lounge at the main entrance where riders can wait in inclement weather. If you will need assistance getting from Finley Hall to the buildings along Aquia Creek Lane or to the Johnson Center, please contact Ruth Townsend at rtownse2@gmu.edu for transportation options.

Service/Repair and Delivery Access
Access for service and delivery vehicles to the loading docks serving the Aquia Building, SUB1, and Harris Theatre will be limited during construction. Service, state and delivery vehicles will not be allowed to remain in the loading docks unless they have made prior arrangements with Parking Services.  Service and state vehicles may park in Lot I after making any deliveries or unloading supplies.

Short-Term Parking
Since the 30-minute parking spaces along Aquia Creek Lane will not be available during construction, the closest short-term parking options will be Lot I or the Mason Pond Parking Deck. In Lot I, there are some 30-minute parking spaces in the front row (closest to the residence hall). In the Mason Pond Parking Deck, 30-minute parking or less is complimentary in the visitor area (Levels 1-2). To access the visitor area, please use the Mason Pond Drive entrance. If exceeding 30 minutes, normal hourly rates of $3/horr will be charged starting at entry time.

Pedestrian Access
During the project, pedestrian access will also be significantly impacted. If possible, it is best to avoid the Aquia Creek Lane area entirely.  With changing conditions depending on the stage of the construction, pedestrian detours through the student apartments are in place. It is crucial that pedestrians pay attention, and adhere, to posted signage for their safety.
There is a group of stakeholders representing major units of the buildings along Aquia Creek Lane as well as other departments impacted by the Aquia Creek Lane project. If you have a question or special need, please seek out them or you can contact:
Parking Services: parking@gmu.edu
Kim Greene-Facilities Project Manager: kgreene5@gmu.edu
For updated information on the project as conditions and impacts will change continually throughout the three months, please go to http://parking.gmu.edu.
You can also get updated information about this project and other parking and transportation impacts at http://www.facebook.com/MasonParkingTransportation and https://twitter.com/MasonParking.