Transportation consultants recommend changes
By Sharita Forrest, Assistant Editor 217-244-1072; slforres@illinois.edu
Traffic patterns could change again on Wright Street, Armory Avenue and Sixth Street, if the university and the city of Champaign adopt the recommendations of a consulting agency that recently completed a new traffic safety study. The consulting firm Martin/Alexiou/Bryson recently presented the findings of its Multi-Modal Transportation Study to Chancellor Richard Herman, who hired the firm in 2006 following the death of a UI freshman struck by a Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District bus. The firm worked with the Project Steering Committee, which comprises several UI staff members as well as representatives from Champaign, Urbana and the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission. The firm recommended a series of systemic improvements to reduce personal vehicle and bus traffic on campus and to promote use of alternate transportation modes, and recommended street-level improvements to improve safety at intersections and crossings. The consultants suggested reintroducing two-way traffic on Wright Street from Daniel Street to Armory Avenue. On Armory Avenue north of the main Library, traffic would be changed from one-way eastbound to one-way westbound, and the bus stop would be moved around the corner onto Wright Street to eliminate conflicts between bus passengers and bicyclists. Two-way traffic patterns would be restored on Chalmers Street between Sixth and Wright, and on Sixth Street between Chalmers and Armory. The consultants suggested that the university investigate four locations as potential park-and-ride lots for commuters and resident students: the North Campus Parking Deck and the surface lot B22 across from the deck at the intersection of University Avenue and Clark Street; lot E14, west of Assembly Hall; the intersection of First Street and Curtis Road; and the intersection of Windsor Road and Lincoln Avenue. The lots would serve as transit hubs where motorists and MTD passengers could board express shuttles to the campus core at five-minute intervals or ride other bus routes to the periphery of campus. Bus stops could be consolidated and routes condensed to maximize efficiency, to eliminate route duplication, to minimize the number of buses on campus and reduce the number of potential conflict points with pedestrians. All of MTD’s current routes penetrate campus, said William Martin, of Martin/Alexiou/Bryson. “In some cases, there are as many as 70 buses an hour traveling Wright Street on weekdays. It’s a high level of bus service that people enjoy and use, but is it really the right bus service for campus? There may be routes that don’t have to go through campus that could be pushed out to the fringes.” Pam Voitik, director of campus services, said the university will be selecting a consultant to gather ridership data and evaluate the current route system. The UI’s current contract with the MTD ends in August 2008. The firm’s recommendations for reducing the number of personal vehicles on campus include new pricing strategies for parking. The possibilities were implementing a market-based system, used at many universities, where high-demand spaces at the campus core would be the most expensive; providing free or inexpensive spaces on the periphery; implementing a time-based, pay-per-use parking system; or adopting a “cash-out” program as a financial incentive for people to not purchase parking permits. The consultants also recommended that the university adopt a “complete campus streets” policy that would standardize street design, with Wright Street, Gregory Drive, Springfield Avenue and Goodwin Avenue redesigned and developed as campus gateways. Bus pullouts would be added in some locations, landscaping installed between the street and the sidewalk to create a buffer between pedestrians and vehicles, and on-street parking reduced, eliminated or reconfigured as parallel spaces. In coordination with city officials, the bike path system would be overhauled to eliminate conflict points with pedestrians, and bicycles would be treated as vehicles, with bike lanes moved to the streets. Bike boxes, blue pavement markings that allow bicyclists to wait ahead of cars at stoplights, could be added to help bicyclists transition safely between paths, Martin said. The UI could encourage more people to bicycle by offering covered, secure parking near every building entrance; and introducing amenities such as shower and locker facilities, a bike station for routine maintenance and repairs, and a “guaranteed ride home” program in the event of emergency, inclement weather or other unplanned events. While cost estimates were not provided, Voitik said the university will collaborate with city officials on prioritization, timelines for implementation and funding. According to John G. Dempsey, executive director of Facilities and Services, F&S has budgeted for a full-time transportation planner in Fiscal Year 2008, which will begin July 1. The Chancellor’s Design Review Committee also has a tentative commitment for $750,000 to fund improvements.
