Proposed Multimodal Station at UNLV

So I got my extraordinarily tiny hands on a copy of the Regional Transportation Committee and UNLV “Multimodal Transit Hub” study commissioned in 2007 and finished this June.

I’m 20 pages in and have already discovered a wealth of information I thought I’d have to calculate myself (which involved standing by each bus stop by UNLV counting how many people got off and on during peak hours, i.e. the hottest frigging time of the day). Yay for not doing extra work!

As I chronicled in an earlier post, the study proposed five different sites around campus where RTC would send its buses. These sites haven’t changed in the final report. And of course, they failed to serve the poor science, engineering and fine arts students at the north-most end of campus. Sorry nerds!

The results of a survey the RTC and UNLV conducted showed the respondents (602 faculty and staff, 534 students) preferred their transit hub to be the Red Lot – in front of the Cox Pavillion/Thomas and Mack based on “campus use.”

I know from experience that more students hang out around the amphitheater than they do by the CBC and Library. The buildings on that side of campus mostly represent administrative use – financial aid, student services, career services, etc. And that’s where most of the parking is too. The greater number of classrooms are on the southeast side facing Maryland Parkway.

So when the surveyees say they use the campus most at Thomas&Mack, what they really mean to say is that’s where all the parking is so that’s where I go and/or I work on campus and most number of admins are on this side of campus.

Secondly, most of your food, computing, relaxing opportunities are on the Maryland Parkway/University Ave side.

Thirdly, I already expressed my concerns about this survey – specifically that the ratio between staff and student respondents leaned too heavily toward staff.

Now, nothing has been officially proposed…yet.  Survey results can only get you so far. But a look at more basic information – where most classes are held, where students actually hangout, etc – would lead to a better decision of where to put the Transit Hub.

Some interesting things brought up in what this study calls “UNLV Public Meeting 2″ is some stuff I’ve been ruminating about reporting. One, is the suggestion of a small fee paid to UNLV that would allow students and staff to get on the buses for free. UC Berkeley and numerous other unis have this sort of program. Another is an electronic bus tracking software – such as NextBus – where you can check when the next bus is coming from your cell. And lastly, is better bike routes around campus! These last bits thrown in on page 29, give me hope that those in the public have a good idea of what sort of things could greatly increase ridership on buses and mobility around campus. Yay for the public!

Stay tuned for an analysis of the numbers and ways in which I saved time and sweat thanks to this study!

Related posts:

1. UNLV Transit Hub Study, Part 2 of 2
2. Stuff No One Really Advertises – UNLV Transit Study
3. Alternate Solutions: Public transit fees for students
4. Welcome to UNLV. Please visit one of our fine parking lots!
5. ACE coming to UNLV?