A view of Stadium Way on the WSU Pullman campus.
Whether by car, bus, bike, scooter or their own two feet, members of the WSU community are returning to the Pullman campus in greater numbers as the pandemic restrictions are easing.
The return of normality on the horizon is enlivening the discussion about how all pedestrians and drivers will live together harmoniously in the future. In the short term, financial constraints will prevent major changes, but the WSU is working with outside consultants to come up with a plan for when financial resources will be available again.
“This is an opportunity to take a step back and look at our campus transportation infrastructure and consider the most appropriate college campus strategy,” said Olivia Yang, vice president, facility services.
Maintaining a thoroughfare for motorists on campus without interference from pedestrians is vital, as is ensuring that people can safely navigate campus on foot or by bike. The entire road network of the campus is being examined with the help of a consultant and suggestions from a 2019 report. This report offered some ideas for making the Pullman campus more adaptable to all forms of traffic:
- Adoption of a complete road directive requiring pedestrians to be considerate of all types of road works
- Take advantage of an exclusive bus / bike lane on Stadium Way
- Improve and expand the Cougar Bike system and network
- Adopt a roundabout policy and install test models
Changing lane configurations or adding features like speed bumps or roundabouts will be impractical in the near future, Yang said. The COVID-19 pandemic has left the university with no excess capital to make big changes.
The renewed focus on the future of Pullman campus travel coincides with recent reviews of the Troy and East Johnson Tower bridges. Using excess funds from the previous two-year period, WSU staff assessed the condition of these bridges. They found structural concerns related to rebar and concrete, which led to their closure out of great caution.
A view of Stadium Way on the WSU Pullman campus.
“The problems stem from rain and ice getting into the nooks and crannies of the concrete,” said Joe Kline, vice president of capital projects. “Throwing salt causes the ice to melt, which makes the problem worse, but it would have happened to salt or not, just at different potential speeds.”
While the Facility Services do not expect any immediate danger, the WSU closes the bridges out of caution.
It is not known how long the bridges are closed to pedestrians. WSU needs to determine the potential cost of the repair, as well as the cost of removing the bridge if the repairs prove to be too expensive. There are tons of options on the table and it will be some time for the university to work through them before it finally comes to a decision, Yang said. It wouldn’t be the first time a footbridge has been removed as an earlier flyover over the stadium near Nevada was removed years ago due to maintenance issues.
“We recognize that this is an inconvenience, and we value people’s patience as we solve these problems,” said Yang.
As the university and its advisors progress further in the planning process, opportunities will arise for the community to weigh plans for the future of transportation on the Pullman campus.
