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TRANSIT AND PARKING: DoMoreWithWhat YouNowHave BY ROBERT FURNISS AND SCOTT R. SPENCER


less.” It has been so overused that usually the sarcastic reply is akin to saying, ‘Yeah, right –we’re so good at doingmorewith less that nowwe can do everything with nothing’.”


W Well, what about doing more with


what you already have? Is there a way in which universities can “get more” from existing transit and parking systems? Most if not all universities would


want their transportation systems to per- form with greater capacity, reliability and convenience within the same budgeted resources – especially when expanding physically and demographically. And Georgia Southern University


(GSU) in Statesboro was no exception. GSU’s recent growth and expansion


had given rise to additional residence halls and generated the need for more campus transportation services. Not surprisingly, increased traffic fromcommuting students and intra-campus driving between campus facilities has grown as well. GSU turned to ChanceManagement


Advisors to identify improvements for schedules, operations and buses to better serve its 1.4million riders each year. A key requirement was developing


improvements that could be accomplished within the existing university budget for campus transit services. It also was important that the service


recommendations continue to successfully support the university’s peripheral parking system, which is crucial due to the short- age of core campus parking. What follows describes the Chal-


lenge, Strategies and Benefits derived fromthe project.


THE CHALLENGE: Realign Existing Resources, Service Patterns, Schedules and Routes


GSU’s former transit service consist-


ed of eight buses, operating continuously on a counterclockwise loop, connecting the main campus with the Recreation Activities Center, the Stadium Complex and severalmajor apartment complexes.


12


E HAVE all heard the tired expres- sion


“Do more with To supplement the capacity of the


main route during morning and afternoon peak times, two other buses operated on a counterclockwise express route from the main campus to two apartment complex- es. The loop route also served the largest GSU parking facilities. The buses operating in a single-direc-


tion loop limited the speed, capacity and travel convenience of the service. Over- crowded buses and longer running times were the result, reducing the transit appeal for students and staff parking in peripheral lots. But there wasmore! The loop route also did not help to


reduce intra-campus driving and parking. In fact, traffic congestion in the campus core resulted due to students driving oth- ers between campus destinations. Natural- ly, this artificially increased parking demand, with cars relocating among park- ing facilities during the day.


THE SOLUTION, PART ONE: Restructure the Transit Routes


A restructured transit service pattern


was developed so that two routes could operate continuously with eight buses. One routewould operate in both directions on the core campus, while the other would operate express service from the campus core to the apartment complexes on a con- tinuous schedule, day and night. Another key recommendation was to


close two Statesboro streets traversing the campus and to limit their accessibility to buses, deliveries and authorized GSU vehicles, with the goal of eliminating traf- fic congestion and improving transporta- tion and pedestrian circulation. It also encouraged students to park in peripheral parking facilities and use transportation, instead of building more parking in the core campus.


THE SOLUTION, PART TWO: Market and Implement Improvements


Details of the new transit services


were vigorously promoted among stu- dents, staff and faculty through a number of marketing channels, including the uni- versity website and the GSU Parking and Transportation website maps, and via notices, contact lists, the campus newspa- per and at campus events. The closure of the city streets through the core of campus


FEBRUARY 2011 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


was coordinated with city officials, who also promoted the changes locally and on themunicipal cable channel.


TRANSIT BENEFITS: Increased Ridership


The changes described above


increased transportation capacity 25% using the same fleet and operating budg- et!And the street closures were coordinat- ed with the support and approval of the city, because the increased transit ridership and parking at peripheral facilities actually reduced traffic congestion at several inter- sections and on streets adjacent to the closed roadways.


PARKING BENEFITS: Improved Use of Existing Parking Resources


Improvements to the bus service,


including multi-directional transit routes and revised operating schedules, actually increased parking use at the larger, periph- eral on-campus parking lots at the Sports Complex and the Recreation Activities Center. Parking availability also increased in the commuter and faculty/staff parking lots within the campus core. Perceptions of the commuter/periph-


eral parking lots and the value of the respective parking permits improved as the actual travel times, perceived distances and overcrowding were diminished by the realigned and enhanced transit options. Additionally, access to and use of the


Recreation Activities Center have increased as a result of better transporta- tion service and parking availability.


CONGESTION BENEFITS: Encouraging a ‘Park Once’ Strategy


GSU is encouraging students, faculty Continued on Page 14


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