LMPD Cancels Buses Amid Conduct Concerns

Grace Kennard Co-News Editor

     Villanova Athletics sent an email to the student body on Wednesday, Feb. 5 announcing important bus information regarding the two remaining men’s basketball games at Wells Fargo Center.

       “The Lower Merion Police Department (LMPD) has informed Villanova University that the Township’s municipal parking lots, specifically the large parking lot in the center of Bryn Mawr, cannot be used for bus pick-up and drop-off on Saturday, February 8, 2020 and Saturday, February 29, 2020,” the email read.

     Many student organizations coordinate buses for transportation to and from the games at Wells Fargo Center. As the last game of the season on Feb. 29 takes place over the University’s Spring Break, this past weekend’s game was seen as the last, true tailgate and Wells Fargo game.

     Katherine Kuiken, a sophomore whose family visited for the game, said that the overall turnout was larger than usual. “A lot of families were here this weekend and since Seton Hall is only an hour and a half away, a lot of their fans also came to tailgate,” she said. “The parking lot wasn’t full of students as much as it was families. It was also a lot more spread out than normal. For a usual tailgate, students all stand in the lot but at this one, people were roaming around the different lots to find families to play corn hole with.”

     The email went on to detail the concerns of the LMPD. “LMPD has expressed concern regarding student behavior and bus traffic in this area before and after off-campus men’s basketball games. The volume of busses and these behaviors – which include public intoxication and large amounts of trash discarded on the ground – have a negative impact on the quality of life in the Township and interfere with permitted uses of these public spaces, particularly a community farmers market that uses this same municipal parking lot most weekends.”

   Students were also informed that there would be an increased police presence in the Bryn Mawr area the day of the Feb. 8 game. As an alternative, students were advised to use SEPTA or The Office for Student Involvement sponsored on-campus bus transportation for $10 round trip.

     A later email detailed that students were still allowed to tailgate. “Students who plan to tailgate will be permitted to enter Wells Fargo Center parking lots three hours prior to tip-off (11:30am)” it said.

     The second email also reminded students that SEPTA was an option for transportation. Although it was estimated to take one and a half hours each way from Villanova station on West Campus to the Wells Fargo Center.