Advisory Committee Chair
Virginia P Sisiopiku
Advisory Committee Members
Robert W Peters
Andrew J Sullivan
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2017
Degree Name by School
Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE) School of Engineering
Abstract
There are 4,726 institutions for higher education in the United States. Many of these institutions are located in urban environments and often provide limited options for transportation using alternative modes such as transit, bicycling, and walking. As urban university campuses strive to provide high quality accommodations to their students, employees and visitors, a great need exists for the development of comprehensive strategic plans that promote sustainable transportation solutions. Such solutions encourage social interaction, foster healthy living and active commute choices, and reduce the ecological footprint of university campuses on the adjacent local environment. This thesis reviews and summarizes initiatives across the nation to identify effective strategies for promoting alternative transportation modes within a campus environment. Using the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) campus as a case study, the study reviews the present status of active transportation at UAB based on available reports, including a recent UAB commuter survey and a STARS sustainability assessment exercise. A sample corridor was selected and used to demonstrate how infrastructures improvements in support of active transportation modes can be designed and evaluated using the Level of Service methodology of the 2010 Highway Capacity Manual. A comprehensive set of recommendations is also offered to improve active transportation at UAB and other urban university campuses through design, plan, policy, education, and encouragement initiatives.
Recommended Citation
Terdalkar, Sunil, "Planning for Active Transportation at Urban University Campuses" (2017). All ETDs from UAB. 3118.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/3118