The groundbreaking of the construction project on the east end of the Danforth Campus on May 5, 2017 was not only symbolic of the change in landscape of Washington University in St. Louis, but the change in modes of transportation used by faculty and staff.
The construction project has temporarily eliminated 945 parking spaces, a disruption that has led both the university and individuals to reconsider their modes of transit. Although the project will include an underground parking structure, the completion of the East End Transformation is not projected until spring 2019. Thus, employees across campus are parking at the WashU West Campus and commuting to the main campus by biking, walking, or using the West Campus shuttle.
Using the West Campus Shuttle is different than using the Circulator because the service travels in the opposite direction of the Circulator route and a new stop was created at Jackson and Forsyth to pick up West Campus commuters.
As a frequent user of the West Campus shuttle commute option, a typical model of travel is parking inside the West Campus Parking Garage and taking the stairs or elevator to the shuttle stop to catch the shuttle. The shuttle comes every 15 minutes, so consider all legs of the route to arrive on time: navigating the parking lot, waiting for the shuttle to arrive, riding to Danforth Campus, and journeying to your work destination.
In line with WashU’s sustainability goals, the East End Renovation ultimately provides an opportunity to explore alternative forms of transportation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from single occupancy vehicles. An added bonus, using the shuttle fosters a tighter and more interactive campus community. Unlike driving individually in separate vehicles, people who wouldn’t usually meet because they work in distant areas of campus find commonalities and start conversations while waiting for the shuttle and during the three-minute ride to the Danforth Campus.
To learn more about parking changes during the East End Renovation, visit the Alerts and Closures page of the Parking & Transportation site.
This article is written by Mackenzie Hines-Wilson and published on 15 June 2017.