LTD urges bus, bike use for crowded UO commencement weekend

Lane Transit District is steering graduates, families and other campus visitors toward buses and bikes for University of Oregon commencement weekend, when Autzen Stadium and the roads around it are expected to draw one of the heaviest crowds of the year. With about 60,000 people able to converge on the area on major game days, the easiest way around the bottlenecks will be to avoid driving onto campus at all.

The clearest parking warning is simple: there will be no public parking on the Eugene campus except designated ADA lots. The university’s 149th commencement ceremony is set for Monday, June 15, at 9 a.m. at Autzen Stadium, where gates open at 7 a.m. and the main ceremony is expected to last about 90 minutes. The event will celebrate 5,513 graduates, and Marlee Matlin will deliver the keynote address.

For anyone coming from Eugene or Springfield, LTD says Routes 13 and 79x are the direct bus options for Autzen Stadium, while EmX can drop riders on campus. Eugene Station remains the central transfer point for most routes, making it the most practical starting place for people coming in from across Lane County. That matters on a weekend when the main traffic pinch points will be the roads feeding Autzen, the university campus and the parking lots that will fill quickly.

The university is also relying on shuttles to move people after the ceremony. Free shuttles from Autzen to the Eugene campus will begin after the ceremony and run continuously throughout the day, with the last shuttle from campus to Autzen scheduled for 7 p.m. UO is also urging carpooling and rideshare use, a reminder that the entire campus transportation network will be under strain once the ceremony ends and crowds begin moving to cars, restaurants and post-graduation gatherings.

Cyclists have another option. Cascadia Mobility manages PeaceHealth Rides, Eugene’s bike-share system, and the program includes support from the City of Eugene, the University of Oregon, LTD, ODOT and PeaceHealth. For families trying to sidestep parking searches near Autzen, that makes a bike trip part of the way to campus a workable alternative, especially for those coming from central Eugene.

UO says the ceremony will go on rain or shine unless there is severe weather such as lightning or high winds, and graduates and guests are expected to use clear bags at the venue. For a crowded graduation weekend, the message is direct: use the bus, use the bike, and leave the parking headaches to someone else.