UVM's work to create an inviting and forward-thinking campus includes this new Active Transportation Plan focused on making walking, bicycling, and skateboarding safer and more attractive transportation options, even in cold and snowy winter months.

Alta’s recommendations for the UVM Active Transportation Plan followed the “5 E’s” framework (engineering, education, evaluation, enforcement, and encouragement). Alta created a robust list of engineering recommendations and evaluated them based on 10 criteria to determine the highest priorities. Additionally, education, evaluation, enforcement, and encouragement recommendations were prepared that would make walking, bicycling, and skateboarding safer and more attractive modes on campus. Specific emphasis was placed on opportunities to make active transportation more viable during winter months, with research conducted to determine best practices from other walk and bike friendly universities in cold climates. Lesson learned from these universities were incorporated into the final plan, as well as bike parking, wayfinding standards, and recommendations for a campus-wide bike share program.

Alta used innovative public involvement strategies to determine circulation patterns and deficiencies in the non-motorized transportation network. A series of community workshops and an online input map were used to gather feedback about the routes students and staff preferred to walk, bike, and skateboard. Engineering recommendations were evaluated based on criteria defined in partnership with University leaders and student organizations. The final plan will serve as a ‘green print’ for the University to development to more active modes of transportation for students, faculty, and staff for the next twenty-year period. High-impact changes will occur in the first two to five years to get people moving and build momentum for continued plan implementation.