Public Transportation System
A D.A.T.A. bus plan for students would be difficult due to the close proximity to campus and the lack of stops along student housing streets. In addition to that, it sometimes takes the same (or even less) amount of time to walk from one part of the campus to another. For example, it saves time to walk from Thomson Hall to University Hall using the JAY walk. To reach the same destination by car, the driver needs to start from the Welch parking lot in Oak Hill Avenue, take South Liberty Street onto West Williams Street. The driver has to cross four traffic lights and then take South Henry Street to reach Gray Chapel. Even if a campus shuttle drops students off at Sandusky Street, the amount of time taken will be the same considering the stops the shuttle will have to make and the routes it will have to take. Therefore, it is better to develop a campus shuttle for faculty and staff members who live further away from campus in Delaware and in Columbus, and for students who commute.
A study will need to be conducted to get information about faculty and staff members and commuting students. One of the tools used could be surveys that are sent out through campus-wide emails, making Facebook groups and posting surveys online on J/CX accounts of students and faculty. Information on faculty and commuting students can also be gathered through Public Safety, Residential Life and Human Resources. Some of the questions that need answering are:
- Where do these faculty and students live?
- How many students/faculty members drive to and from campus?
- Of those who drive, how much distance do they cover per week/month?
This can help us determine how many members of the OWU community would need transportation and surveys would help us determine how many of these commuters would be interested in car pooling and using public transportation like shuttles. Mapping out addresses of faculty and students will provide an insight of whether development of a public transportation program or car pooling program is feasible or not.
Different maps can be created this way:
- Mapping out addresses and the exact routes currently used by commuting students and faculty and staff members to and from campus.
- Group students and faculty members from the same area together so they car pool and can eventually use shuttles to and from campus.
- Map out the routes used by DATA bus and how can this be collaborated into starting a new public transportation system for OWU members.
This may be a difficult task to accomplish because many people may not take these surveys or may not want to participate in such programs because they like the convenience of traveling in their own cars.
Other Alternatives to Driving
Maybe 2-3 electric golf carts could be used for transportation of students from campus to locations a little further from campus, like the banks in downtown, the Delaware County District Library, etc. It could also be used for giving rides to students from the library back to their residences late at night. These electric cars could be run by students and have space for 4-6 people. It could be based at the Public Safety Office and may be available on an on-call basis.
The idea of having rickshaws on campus is also another interesting possibility in our quest to reduce driving around campus. These could be work-study positions with students getting paid to pull rickshaws around campus and within a 1.5 mile radius only.
Bike Movement
The Bike Movement will be an expensive project to undertake, coming to a total of $15,400 according to their proposal (see budget break-down below). From this, 10 percent will have to be fundraised which can be done by increasing parking fee and taking other measures (that have not been discussed yet). Introducing a communal bike program will encourage students to rent out and bicycle to classes. Also, it will encourage more students to join the cycling club and take advantage of the new Delaware Bike Trail. There is a lot of information available on the new Delaware Bike Trail in many websites including:
http://www.communitylink.com/us/oh/delaware/map/city?&zoomifyX=.
As of April 28, 2009, the Bike Movement has received sufficient funding (actual amount not yet disclosed) from the Provost, Dr. David Robbins, Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA) and from the National Colloquium to be launched in Fall 2009. There will be a small fee of $5.00 to get a key for the program which will ensure that there are sufficient funds for bike repairs throughout the year. This is inexpensive for students and will be several hundred dollars cheaper than buying their own bicycle.
