comprehensive campus transportation plan - University of ...

University of Massachusetts Lowell Campus Transportation Plan
Because transportation needs for commuting are very different than onand
between-campus travel needs, they are addressed separately in the
following summaries of existing conditions and opportunities as follows:
“Getting to campus” : where people live, the parking demand and supply
characteristics, and available mode choices
“Getting around and between campuses” : UMass Lowell shuttle and
alternative mode choices
A. Getting to Campus
Where Commuters to UMass Lowell live
A critical part of this study analyzes where UMass Lowell commuters live
and how many drive to campus. The Office of Parking and Transportation
collects information about its decal holders as part of the decal registration
process. Table 1 presents the number of parking decals purchased by
students and faculty/staff.
Anecdotal data suggests that there are currently very few carpools on
campus. Permit data is used as a proxy to quantify single occupied vehicle
usage, as follows:
• Over 90 percent of full time faculty/staff use single-occupied vehicles
(SOV)
• Between 70 and 80 percent of undergraduates use SOV
• Approximately 45 percent of resident students have vehicles
on campus
Registered addresses for parking decal holders were geo-coded to
determine where faculty, staff, and students reside off campus. Auto
commute distances were then estimated using straight line measurements
for each type of decal. This data is reflected in Table 2.
The result of this analysis shows that the average commute distance for
UMass Lowell faculty, staff and students is approximately 12 miles. While
some individuals travel over 20 miles for their commutes, approximately 36
percent of faculty and staff parkers live within 5 miles of campus, and
one-quarter of student parkers live within 5 miles of campus. Because they
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