Community Corner

Obama Visit Will Impact Traffic in West Hartford

Security, logistics, traffic flow, and parking will be impacted at the University of Hartford where President Barack Obama will speak Monday about gun control.

Details are falling into place for President Barack Obama's planned appearance at the University of Hartford on Monday, April 8.

President Obama will be at the West Hartford campus to speak with students, faculty, and White House-invited guests about the topic of gun violence, requesting the support of the American people to urge Congress to pass gun control measures.

The event will be held at the Chase Family Arena of the University’s Sports Center. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. for those who have tickets. Information about ticket distribution was sent to members of the UHart community directly through their University email late on Thursday afternoon. 

Tickets will not be available to the general public, but the remarks will be streamed live on whitehouse.gov.

Parking restrictions in advance of President Obama's visit will begin on Sunday, April 7, when cars must vacate Lot N. According to the University's website, cars will also be prohibited from parking in any spaces between K and N Lots on Monday, April 8 – including in front of or behind the Complexes, in Lots L and M, the Commons loading dock area, and the Sports Center staff lot. Complete details about parking on campus can be found here.

The University of Hartford Fitness Center will be closed beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, and will not reopen until 6 a.m. Tuesday. Health Services and Campus Physical Therapy will be closed all day Monday.

Traffic will also be affected, and officials advise that a "single, widespread stoppage of vehicular traffic on campus should be expected at any time on the afternoon of Monday, April 8. This stoppage will be for all vehicles entering or exiting the campus and will last for an extensive period of time."

During times that the campus will be accessible to traffic, preferred access will be through the Mark Twain Dr. entrance off Albany Ave., just east of Bloomfield Ave.

University of Hartford President Walter Harrison posted the following remark on the University's website Thursday afternoon: "All of us in the University of Hartford community are pleased and proud to welcome President Barack Obama to the University campus. We are delighted that he has chosen the University of Hartford for a national policy address on the topic of gun control legislation. For those of us in Connecticut who have experienced the tragedy of the Sandy Hook Elementary School this is an especially important and emotional topic. Monday, April 8, 2013 will be a wonderfully historic day for the University. I am very proud of our University and I can’t wait for President Obama to see it."

                                                                          


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