The vice presidential debate between Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Sarah Palin begins at 8 p.m. tonight in the Field House in the Athletic Complex.

On Oct. 2 and 3, news media outlets are broadcasting live from the Danforth Campus and want to attract as many people as possible to the broadcast sites.

CBS' "The Early Show" with Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez began broadcasting at 5:30 a.m. from Holmes Lounge in Ridgley Hall and then moved outside of Holmes Lounge from 7-8 a.m. On Oct. 3, "The Early Show" is planning to broadcast again live from Holmes Lounge at 5:30 a.m. and then move outside from 7-8 a.m.

MSNBC is broadcasting live from outside Graham Chapel throughout the day Oct. 2, starting with NBC News' Political Director Chuck Todd at 11 a.m. and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell at noon. "Hardball with Chris Matthews" will broadcast live from the MSNBC stage outside Graham Chapel from 4-5 p.m., 6-7 p.m. and 11 p.m.-midnight.

Also Oct. 2, the CNN Election Express Yourself Tour Bus will be parked on campus at the northeast courtyard of the Danforth University Center, and C-SPAN's Campaign 2008 Bus will be located outside the Mallinckrodt Student Center.

Changes on campus

Due to increased security, access to the Danforth Campus Oct. 2 will be limited to students, faculty and staff with a University ID card or to those individuals who are guests of the University.

All persons should carry and be prepared, upon request, to show a valid, current University ID card.

On Oct. 2, parking throughout the Danforth Campus will be significantly restricted, and vehicle access will be limited to those with a University-issued or other authorized permit. Parking restrictions are subject to change based on requests from the Commission on Presidential Debates or security considerations.

Many parking lots will be closed Oct. 2. Those include Lot 31 (east of the Athletic Complex and south of the School of Law), Lot 33 (Olympian Way), the roof of Lot 29 (Snow Way Garage), Lot 28 (north of the Athletic Complex), the top level of Millbrook Garage, Lot 35 (south of Simon Hall) and Lot 61 at West Campus.

After 3 p.m. Oct. 2, vehicles parked in Snow Way Garage will be allowed to exit; however, no new vehicle traffic will be permitted into the garage from 3 p.m. until midnight. Also, no pedestrian traffic will be allowed on the top level.

In addition, no parking will be permitted on the following streets Oct. 2: Forsyth Boulevard from Skinker to Big Bend, and Brookings Drive.

Daily parking passes will not be honored Oct. 2 — only those with annual permits will be allowed to park on the Danforth Campus.

Parking will be available at West Campus at Lots 60, 62 and 63, and faculty and staff can use a U-Pass to take MetroLink to the Danforth Campus. The MetroLink from West Campus will run on its normal schedule.

Oct. 2 also will see many closures of streets surrounding the Danforth Campus.

At 9 a.m., Big Bend will be closed from Forsyth to Forest Park Parkway. Westmoreland, Maryland and Lindell all will be closed at Big Bend.

At 11 a.m., Forsyth will be closed at Skinker and at Big Bend. Traffic on Forsyth will be limited to campus traffic exiting the campus to the east toward Skinker and campus and debate traffic moving west from Hoyt to Wallace. Eastbound traffic on Forsyth from Hanley will be permitted to travel to Big Bend and then southbound. Northbound traffic on Big Bend will be permitted to travel to Forsyth and then westbound.

Photo by David Kilper

Linda Poeppelmeier (left), a staff member in Public Affairs, and sophomore Colleen Brady, an undeclared major in Arts & Sciences, helped prepare media kits last week for the approximately 3,000 media members who are descending on campus for the vice presidential debate.

By mid-afternoon, Big Bend will close from Forsyth to Wydown. Forsyth also will close to all traffic at Asbury. Local traffic will be permitted on Forsyth between Asbury and Jackson.

In addition, access to the Danforth Campus will be severely limited Oct. 2.

Pedestrian access to the campus Oct. 2 will be primarily limited to Skinker and Brookings, Throop and Forest Park Parkway and Wydown at Wallace.

The only way to access the Danforth Campus by car on debate day will be to take Skinker to Brookings Drive.

Traffic between Hoyt and Wallace on Forsyth will be limited to University traffic only. No traffic will be permitted between Hoyt and Skinker on Forsyth.

Traffic may exit, but not enter, campus at Hoyt and Forest Park Parkway and at Throop and Forest Park Parkway.

Snow Way Drive between Throop and Snow Way Garage will be limited to VIP and law enforcement officials with proper credentials after 3 p.m. Oct. 2. Snow Way Drive west of Snow Way Garage will be closed to traffic.

Traffic also will be restricted in the South 40 area of campus. All traffic accessing the South 40 will enter through Wydown or Wallace and Forsyth. The Shepley Drive entrance at Big Bend will close by 3 p.m. on Oct. 2. At 10 a.m., a two-way traffic plan will be implemented on Shepley Drive. All northbound traffic on Wallace will be blocked near Lot 48. Two-way traffic on Shepley will be blocked just west of Lot 54.

Public and campus transportation routines also will be altered. MetroBus service to campus, Forsyth and Big Bend will end at 10 a.m. Oct. 2. Access to MetroBus service will be available at Skinker and Forest Park Parkway.

A Metro representative will be at the stop to answer questions about service, and Metro will post signs at Mallinckrodt Student Center to advise riders of schedule changes.

The University-operated Campus Circulator will provide service from Lot 4 to Mallinckrodt from 10 a.m. until the end of its normal schedule Oct. 2.

Metro will resume its normal schedule Oct. 3.

Other workout locations

The University has arranged for those who typically use the Athletic Complex to exercise to have access to alternate workout facilities.

The South 40 Fitness Center will admit those with a photo ID and a McWilliams Fitness Center membership. If both cannot be displayed, there is a $5 per use fee.

Bally's Total Fitness on Forsyth in Clayton, Mo., has agreed to allow Athletic Complex patrons who provide a WUSTL ID card and sign a waiver use of its facilities. The Center of Clayton, located at 50 Gay Ave. in Clayton, also will allow those with a WUSTL ID card use of its facilities. The cost will be $4 per visit.

More information about these and other alternate sites is posted on bearsports.wustl.edu. Call the Athletic Complex hotline at 935-4705 for more information.