comprehensive campus transportation plan - University of ...

University of Massachusetts Lowell Campus Transportation Plan
I. Background of Transportation Plan
The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) is at an exciting
milestone in its history. Enrollment has grown, the campus is expanding,
state-of-the-art facilities are being planned and built, more student beds
are coming on line on campus, and its host city, Lowell, is experiencing a
vibrant revival with expanding downtown businesses and residences.
With these changes come increased transportation demands, evidenced in
busy streets and crowded parking lots, and there are exciting opportunities
to satisfy these needs. In striving to create a livable campus, UMass Lowell
is already embracing the challenge of environmental responsibility.
Transportation plays a critical role in achieving sustainable goals, both
environmentally and fiscally.
Much has been accomplished already. The successful development of an
efficient and flexible shuttle bus system since 2009 has helped knit together
the geographically separated parts of the campus. The production of
pedestrian and bicycle maps has heightened people’s awareness of
alternative transportation opportunities, and the bike-share program,
Freewheelers, implemented in Fall 2011, has been greeted with enthusiasm.
The introduction of car-sharing (Zipcar Inc.), also in Fall 2011, is expected to
reduce the need for residential students and commuters to bring a car to
campus, and UMass Lowell’s participation in the state’s MassRides program
facilitates ride-sharing opportunities for commuting faculty, staff and
students.
This Campus Transportation Plan has been developed to seize the moment
and build upon the momentum of these recent accomplishments. The plan
lays out a trail-map to a more sustainable transportation system, one that
will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and foster a more livable community
for residents and commuters to the campus alike.
A. An expanding Campus – the time is right for change
UMass Lowell’s transportation needs are not static. In the five-year period
from Fall 2005 to Fall 2010, enrollment increased by approximately 38
percent, and future projections anticipate an additional 30 percent increase
in enrollment by Fall 2015. Because of an historic dependence on auto
commuting, there has been a simultaneous increase in parking demand,
accommodated by surface parking lots that cover approximately 20 acres of
dedicated surface parking out of a campus total of 135 acres. With a large
commuter population of faculty, staff and students, commuting to the
campus is expected to increase, although it will be off-set to some extent by
expanding residential housing on campus for students.
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
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