College provides ample spots, shuttle bus

Veteran Brockport Arts Festival visitors have learned the same lesson SUNY Brockport commuters have learned over the years - forget trying to worm into a parking spot on a village street. Instead, park where there's plenty of room, no tickets and free shuttle service - at the college's athletic complex.

If you're arriving in Brockport from the east via Route 531 and 31 (or from the south by Route 19), forget trying to get into the village down Main Street. Much of Main Street is closed. Instead, continue west past Wegmans and turn onto Commencement Drive, one of two main entrances to the college campus. Commencement Drive will take you to New Campus Drive, where you'll turn right and find yourself at the Tuttle Athletic Complex. Signs will direct you to parking.

From the west or north, take Redman Road, which intersects Routes 31, 31A and 104 to New Campus Drive and the Tuttle parking lots.

It's a short three-block walk to the arts festival from the lots, but if you're saving your walking feet for the festival itself, you're in luck. A free shuttle bus, provided by the Brockport Student Government, will run between the parking lot and festival at about 10-15 minute intervals. With municipal lots downtown reserved for vendors and on-street parking limited, closer parking spots are few and far between.

The college lot provides direct access to major routes when you're leaving the festival - no trying to figure out which side streets (some are one way) will lead you back out of the village again. Traffic on village streets is frustratingly heavy even when there isn't a festival going on, you don't want to end your day stuck in a traffic snarl.

To avoid the time and hassle of searching for a rogue spot (and chancing a parking ticket), use the college lot - it's fast, easy and free.