In the year 2000, the newly devised Campus Master Plan identified significant issues related to transportation and mobility around campus. Included in the list of challenges was a lack of vehicular wayfinding, imbalanced parking utilization, frequent traffic congestion, concern with vehicular safety and two large impediments (Stadium Drive and the rail line) essentially bisecting the campus. Over the years WMU has focused efforts to improve many of these things, but in a piecemeal manner, concentrating on specific areas of campus as buildings and other improvement projects came to life. Although parking and transportation has been a consistent focal point for many of these projects, the University has not undertaken an assessment of our transportation system as a whole to truly understand current and future needs. Further, the world of transportation is rapidly changing, and the way people get around is changing with it. Ride-sharing opportunities like Uber and Lyft are beginning to inform people’s travel experiences and the future prospect of self-driving cars has the ability to significantly impact infrastructure needs. These things, plus the current effort to redevelop south campus, made it clear that it was time to revisit the larger picture of mobility on campus.
To this end, WMU engaged Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, a firm recognized internationally for their expertise in the field of campus mobility, to assist with the preparation of a Transportation Master Plan for the University. A steering committee was created and work commenced. Through a series of workshops, focus group meetings and larger campus engagement activities, Nelson/Nygaard assessed current conditions, services and programs to identify any physical, policy and programmatic deficiencies, and illuminate opportunities that align with the University’s short- and long-term goals. The final deliverables include a comprehensive guide containing specific recommendations for all modes of transportation, supported by a financial model and timeline for achieving each specific goal.
The Transportation Master Plan Final Report
Our TMP deliverables were complete in January of 2020 and our various campus constituents will be using the documents as our campus continues to transform. View the final report from Nelson/Nygaard. Exciting things are coming!