Share the roads!!

During the week of April 5 – 9 the campus police will be stopping drivers and cyclists to provide information about sharing the road. This is part of a larger Share the Road Campaign that is a collaboration between DOTS, ERC and Campus Police.

Events include:

BIKE FAIR: information, meet a commuter, bicycle and helmet fittings, prizes and giveaways, test rides, food and more!

BIKE FILMS: Unicyclist Mountain Bikes, Rage on New York Streets, DC Metro Extreme Commuters and more!

BIKE RALLY: Ride in a group to try out existing bicycle facilities and weigh in on upcoming improvements. Get some fresh air, have fun. Ride ends at RJ Bentley’s for a social get together.

For information about prizes, raffles and events during the week of April 5th:

http://www.transportation.umd.edu/share.html

For information about sharing the road:

http://bikeumd.wordpress.com/share-the-road/

To begin a commute journal that will help you think about other ways to get to campus, sign up or login for your personal commute calendar:

http://zimride.umd.edu/

Do you think cyclists belong on the roads? Complete our survey:

https://cgi.umd.edu/survey/display?ShareTheRoad/bikeUMD

Tickets and Parking (also, First Orientation)

Hey Terps! Hope you had a good and safe holiday season!

Good news! We have our first Transfer Orientation this Friday! If you are signed up, we are happy to have you on campus. Remember that check-in begins between 8 and ends at 8:20am in Cole Field House. You want to make sure to park in Lot 1 only. If you park anywhere else, be ready to get a $75 ticket. You can get your temporary Orientation parking pass here.

Speaking of tickets, that is the topic of today's post.

Every lot on campus is assigned some sort of designated letter, number and/or symbol. You'll drive around and see lots like Lot Q, Lot K, Lot Z, Lot 1, Lot 11, etc. You will also see lots like Lot Z* or Lot Q*. They each have their own special meaning and it is important to know where to park. When you register for a parking permit at the Department of Transportation Services website here, you will be assigned a parking lot based on the number of credits you have. The more you have, the better lot you will be in. The "Holy Grail" of spots is in Lot 1. But for the first semester you may get Lot 6, 9 or 11 which are on the outskirts of campus, but still within walking distance to all classes and the campus shuttles drive by often.

There has been a lot of chatter around campus about making the signs more user-friendly. You can read an article here. We'll see what the administration decides to do in the future and I'll keep you updated. But for now, make sure you read your parking permit and also the signs in the lots. If not, you will get a whopping $75 ticket. Never fear! If it's your first time on campus or you just made an honest mistake, you can appeal the ticket at the same website for the Department of Transportation Services. But don't abuse the appeal process because they will only let you off so many times.

Good luck with parking on campus and remember to check the permit and check the signs.

What other ways are you getting to campus besides driving?

Let's gooooooo Maryland!

Hey Transfer Terps and Commuters!!

This time difference in California has me waking up 3 hours earlier than normal. So while I have some time, I figured I'd make a new post. Hope you're enjoying your mid-30's temperature. It's averaging 75ish during the day here. :)

Basketball (and Soccer, Swimming, Field Hockey, Cross Country, Tennis, Wrestling, and Women's Volleyball) season is upon us, and while we always support our Terp Football, I think we are all happy that Fall Football is wrapping up. But Maryland Athletics is much more than just Football and Basketball. As you can see from the list, there are many other options to get involved in Maryland Athletics. All of these events are free for you to attend as students.

For bigger games, like Basketball and Football, Maryland utilizes an online ticketing system. Go to www.tickets.umd.edu to register for the lottery. About a week before each big game, you will receive an email asking you if you want to register for a ticket in the lottery for the game. Once you say yes, your name is added to a pot and then a few days later your name may be drawn to receive a ticket for that game. You will log back into the system and print out your ticket. When you get to the venue, scan your ticket and find your seat.

The important thing to remember with the lottery is that it runs on loyalty points. For every game you attend (and scan your ticket), you receive a certain amount of points. The more points you have, the more "loyalty" you have. That means that you have more chances of being drawn for the next game. This is important if you want to go to the UNC or Duke level games. If you obtain a ticket, but don't scan your ticket, you will lose loyalty points. If you print tickets and don't attend a certain amount of games, you will be blocked from receiving tickets for the rest of the season. Basketball and Football run on two different loyalty systems, so they don't affect each other. Your loyalty points restart each semester. So even if you come in as a Junior transfer student, you still have the same opportunity to obtain tickets as a senior non-transfer student.

For all other events, soccer, field hockey, etc, all you have to do is go to the venue at the time of the game and flash your student ID card. Walk in and cheer on the Terps!

Fear the Turtle!!

What is your favorite cheer, chant or tradition at the University of Maryland?