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As schools grow, increased vehicular traffic can force pedestrians to duck and dodge their way across campus. Increasing the density of a campus can worsen traffic congestion.
The problem is particularly burdensome for schools near highly developed areas. Campuses grow into the adjoining street network, and town-and-gown conflicts may flare as congestion leads to off-campus parking shortages.
It is best to deal with such problems before they become troublesome. A well-designed transportation master plan can make a campus easier to navigate and more agreeable for area residents.
Education institutions want their campuses to be more walkable without making driving more difficult and inconvenient. Difficulties arise when pedestrians and automobiles have to compete for the same space.
Counting cars
Developing a transportation master plan begins by evaluating the campus. Schools take counts of vehicles and pedestrians at key intersections. Initially, planners look at relieving congestion by adding lanes and widening streets, building new roads, organizing and relocating pedestrian crossings, improving signal timing and coordination, and trying to make traffic flow and pedestrian crossings safer.
It is essential to consult administrators, local governments and community groups to ascertain their needs, concerns and long-term vision for the campus. Many efforts to improve transportation coincide with a wider expansion plan that may require more dramatic measures. In one instance, a traffic study found that a campus street was causing congestion because drivers used it primarily for cruising. Eliminating...