Sadly they are not alone in this. The University of Pittsburgh did something very similar a few years back (again, driven by Green activists on campus) They wiped out several hundred parking spaces that were heavily used by commuter students to create an “urban greenway” and to “encourage the use of public transportation and bicycles”
Of course, it did not work out that way. It just exacerbated the parking problem elsewhere in the neighborhood. And this rather shabby Urban Greenway now contains a Merry-Go-Round and a Tofu stand, giving it the appearance of a Third World County Fair.
I remember going to Maryland (’85 - ‘89). 37,000 students and 14,000 staff on campus, the size of a small city, and yet Campus Drive still moved, even if only intermittently at times. Of course, it helped that most underclassmen weren’t allowed to bring cars on campus.
These people are insane!
Interesting comments. Of course, the big question is: did bikes increase there? How is “pub(l)ic transportation” around there?
I still don’t quite understand this plan. I’m a UM grad of ‘93 and while I read the whole article (this is new to me), I’m still not clear what they really want. Or WHY.
I don’t know what it’s like now, but when I went to school, I was fine crossing traffic both as a literal pedestrian or bicyclist. I went more on campus when I was taking elective courses outside my engineering (located at the corner of campus). The main drag is a huge mall of green. If you are a liberal-arts type person, there is hardly any car traffic to encounter once you start your day unless you insist on going to the Student Union (just 1 street to cross).