YSU improves parking accessibility for home games during football season

Many fans look forward to cheering on Youngstown State University's (YSU) football team every season, but some have complained about a lack of handicap parking and shuttle buses available during home games.

21 News first noticed the concerns on a YSU message board, where more than a dozen people posted saying they could no longer attend games because of the problem. So, we went looking for answers.

21 News reporter Leslie Huff found out that accessible parking has actually improved this year, but the word hasn't exactly gotten out.

Handicap accessible parking at the school is now closer to the stadium, but not all fans were aware of this change. Danny O'Connell the director of support services at YSU, admits they may have dropped the ball on getting the word out.

"We didn't get as many people here [during the last home game] as we anticipated, and then that is when we realized that the word just had not gotten out," O'Connell. 

Some fans on YSU's message board complained about a lack of accessible parking and shuttle buses.

One user said, "Handicap parking stinks. 3 blocks from stadium and they did away with shuttles," another person wrote "If it doesn't improve count me out as a season tickets holder next year."

However since the start of the football season, its lot 60 on Arlington Avenue near DeBartolo Hall where accessible parking and a YSU police escort service using a five passenger golf cart will pick up and drop off fans.

O'Connell says the entire lot, which costs five dollars to park will be reserved for accessible parking for the next two home games. Signage that signals where to park will make the journey to and from the stadium a lot easier.

During the fourth quarter of every home game, the golf carts will be stationed near Gate D waiting to escort people back to their car. O'Connell says, the cart shuttle will stay after the game for a minimum of one hour. 

Once the number of accessible parking spaces needed for games is determined, additional parking will be sold to other fans during future games.