THIBODAUX – Nicholls State University will continue to permit public parking in designated areas on the Thibodaux campus during the upcoming carnival season. In addition to free parking, the university has added two pay-to-park options.
2010 Thibodaux parade-goers will have three parking options on the Nicholls campus:
- Free parking – Parade-goers can park their vehicles in one of the interior campus parking lots – just a short walk from the parade route (no campers allowed in these lots).
- Pre-paid seasonal reserved parking passes – Parade-goers can reserve premium parking spaces adjacent to the parade route for campers, cars or trucks for the entire 2010 carnival season – $50 per car or truck and $200 per camper.
- Parade-day paid parking – Parade-goers can park their cars or trucks in designated lots adjacent to the parade route – $10 per day per vehicle (no campers allowed in these lots).
“As always, we are happy to make university facilities available to the community,” Mike Davis, assistant vice president for administration, said. “Unfortunately the new Mardi Gras parade parking policies are necessary to help cover expenses, such as personnel overtime, incurred by the university during these types of events. In the past, we were simply able to absorb these expenses, but in light of the tremendous budget cuts to higher education, which have resulted in program and personnel cuts, the university can no longer absorb these costs.”
Lots designated for reserved paid parking include:
- Lot 7, located across Madewood Drive from Gouaux Hall, reserved for campers only;
- Lot 20, located across Audubon Drive from Babington Hall, and Lot 19, located between Audubon Drive and the Max Charter School, both reserved for cars and trucks; and
- Lot 6, located on Audubon Drive between the James Alumni House and Scholars Hall, reserved for overflow campers, cars and trucks.
University Police ask that all campus visitors adhere to normal parking courtesies, such as observing handicapped zones, no parking zones and reserved parking spaces, as some Nicholls employees work after normal business hours.
Additional campus parking restrictions follow:
- Vehicles are not permitted on grassy areas. Vehicles parked on grassy areas will be towed.
- All university buildings will be closed to the public during parade times.
- After campers are parked, the towing vehicles must be parked elsewhere.
- Visitors may reside in campers overnight, but tailgate parties are prohibited after 9 p.m.
- Visitors may not tie or connect equipment to university property, including signs, buildings and cabling.
- Fires will not be allowed.
- Glass containers are prohibited on university property.
- No homemade port-o-lets are permitted, nor are visitors allowed to dump human waste on university property.
- Campers are prohibited from using university water, gas and electrical sources.
- Visitors in reserved spaces are responsible for their own garbage pick-up. The university will charge clean-up fees to visitors who leave garbage behind.
- All visitors with reserved spaces must vacate the premises by noon on Monday, Feb. 15.
Nicholls is officially closed Monday, Feb. 15 and Tuesday, Feb. 16, but the above restrictions will be enforced by University Police throughout the 2010 carnival season.
Premium parking spaces can be reserved by submitting a Mardi Gras Season Parking Pass application and payment to University Police. The application, along with a campus map and a complete list of parade parking policies is available at www.nicholls.edu. Click the “Mardi Gras Parking Applications and Fees” entry under “Events.”
Call (985) 448-4746 for additional information, including procedures for obtaining parade-day parking passes.
