Transportation discussions scheduled

Dalhousie wants to talk parking and transportation with you.

The Office of the Vice-President Finance and Administration, Facilities Management and Dal Security are hosting a series of town halls, starting next week, to discuss transportation management on campus.

The sessions will include an overview of Dalhousie’s transportation demand management planning process, insights into commuter patterns on campus, and a discussion on how the university is working to manage its existing resources and develop new opportunities for employee and student transportation.

The first info session takes place Wednesday, July 18 at the MacMechan Room in the Killam Library. Subsequent sessions will take place on Carleton and Sexton Campuses, and there will be an online session for those who are away or cannot make it to one of the in-person talks.

Dal News will cover the first event and share the highlights.

Last August’s announcement of a cap on general parking passes (which was later lifted) led to a rush that frustrated and inconvenienced many in the Dal community.

Ken Burt, Dalhousie's vice-president finance and administration, hopes that by presenting an overview of Dal’s transportation opportunities and challenges, and leading a broader discussion, these sessions will bring out strategies for improving not just parking, but transportation to the university more generally.

“We have limited parking capacity on campus, with real financial challenges in the way of increasing it,” explains Mr. Burt. “It requires us to think critically about managing demand: effectively using our parking capacity to support the Dal community, and reducing demand for parking by providing useful, accessible alternatives to single-occupant vehicles.”

He says his team will share details on several initiatives in the works for this coming year, including an employee bus program, an evolved ride-share program, increased short-term parking opportunities, changes to enforcement, and an online purchasing system for Dal passes.

“There is no magic fix to the issues,” says Mr. Burt. “So opening up and sharing our planning process, and hearing further ideas from our community, helps us improve our transportation systems for next year and beyond.”

Transportation and Parking Meetings

Questions about parking, transportation to and on Dal campus, an employee bus pass (pilot program), cycling initiatives, and opportunities for car-sharing and ride-sharing? Please join us for an update, followed by an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.
 
Wednesday, July 18th  - Studley Campus
MacMechan Room, Killam Library
3-4 pm
 
Friday, July 27th – Carleton Campus
Tupper Theatre B
11 am – 12 noon

Tuesday, July 31st – online
http://ilores.ca/lll/fa
11 am – 12 noon (the site above will be open to participants at 10 am)
 
Wednesday, August 1st – Sexton Campus
D Building, Room 416
12 noon – 1 pm
 
If you have any questions, please contact Brenda MacPhee at 494-4026.