Community Council Update: Council Discusses Transportation on Campus

On Monday, March 22, Community Council met to go over a few transportation recommendations that Leger Grindon, professor of film and media culture, outlined for the Council’s review. The proposal, broken into four parts, seeks to address certain transportation issues on campus and ultimately make the campus more pedestrian and bike accessible.

The first portion of the proposal outlines the need for a system of bike paths throughout campus, especially to “expand the bicycle paths along Routes 30 and 125 by expanding the bicycle lane onto college property wherever possible.” The group acknowledged that there are pedestrian walkways that need expanding as well.

“Facilities is working to expand walks each year, and this year we chose to work on the path from Route 125 across Sunderland and from Battell towards Bicentennial Hall,” explained College Horticulturalist Tim Parsons. “All of our walks are too narrow, but we don’t have the funding to fix them all.”

The proposal to implement more bicycle paths throughout campus passed, with all 15 present members voting in favor.

The second section of the proposal urges the College to build covered bicycle parking adjacent to buildings.

“We are doing covered bike racks as a part of the new field house,” explained Parsons. “One thing I hope this proposal does is encourage the College, especially facilities, to target areas of campus and begin to build covered bike racks around buildings.”

This portion passed with 14 in favor and one abstention.

The third portion of the proposal urges the College to give priority funding towards the construction of the promenade on Old Chapel Road. This proposal is currently a part of the College’s long-term campus plan and would make Old Chapel Road a pedestrian walkway.

“It would tie these two quads together in a way that would make this feel like a more cohesive campus,” said Parsons.

Billy Sneed, senior network administrator for Library and Information Services (LIS), agreed with the initiative.

“I work in Voter and really appreciate the parking right out front, but would give up my parking for this,” said Sneed.

This section passed with 15 in favor.

The last section of the proposal, which evoked an outspoken response from many students, was the proposal to initiate car-registering privileges beginning sophomore year, in order to minimize the car culture on campus. As the system stands now, first-year students are allowed to register cars on campus. According to Public Safety, 82 first-year students currently have registered cars on campus.

“I think it creates a problem where there isn’t one,” said Student Government Association (SGA) President Charlie Arnowitz ’13 on the proposal. “We are talking about 82 students, which is not a huge amount.”

Some members of the Council acknowledged how rural Middlebury is and that having a car on campus can save students hundreds of dollars when trying to get home. And while certain members were concerned with the car culture on campus and the number of students who drive to class, most members felt that first-years were not the ones driving through campus during the class day.

“Parking favors upperclassmen and first-years park in [the CFA], which is so far away that these students are not the ones driving through campus everyday,” said Council member Olena Ostasheva ’16.

This part of the proposal did not pass with 12 members voting in opposition, two in support and one abstention.

The three recommendations that did pass will move along to President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz for final review.