Students in Associate Professor Carey McAndrews’ “Climate Action Planning: Sustainable Transportation” class held a workshop that brought together experts to discuss the future of transportation infrastructure on campus and in the City of Madison. The class presented their initial research and goals, shaped by their vision for an accessible, multi-modal campus. Students and experts conducted SWOT (strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, threats) analyses for three proposals: 1) changes to University Avenue and Johnson Street, 2) bike lanes, and 3) expanding park and ride services.
Attendees from the Office of Sustainability, Transportation Services, the City of Madison, the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change, and others discussed the feasibility of projects, shared their previous experiences, and offered feedback. Experts also pointed out macro-level trends for students to consider, such as the future of commuting versus working from home and autonomous vehicles.
The workshop is a midway point in the students’ project. They now plan to conduct additional research before compiling their final report. Last year, McAndrews’ students provided recommendations for UW-Madison’s fleet vehicles in their final report, which Transportation Services and the Office of Sustainability have found valuable in their climate planning efforts.
By: Hope Karnopp