Hilly terrain and a spread-out campus make UCSC’s shuttle buses an indispensable service for students, staff and faculty. However, the existing bus fleet consists of aging diesel vehicles, which are cost-effective but emit more than 50 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
This report analyzes the potential for electric buses to serve the UCSC campus, considering both the cost and practical issues such as vehicle range, charging locations and the ability of the buses to navigate steep hills. Although electric buses have a higher upfront cost, the report concludes that they are a better choice than a new diesel fleet to reach carbon neutrality, and would be more cost effective in the long run.
In a bid to reduce overcrowding and pass-bys on busy campus routes, Santa Cruz Metro Transit and UCSC Transportation and Parking Services introduced articulated buses as a pilot project. Alexandria Jones’ evaluation found that the articulated buses have the potential to greatly expand capacity, but need to be better timed to class schedules to be effective. Also, all-door boarding or other measures to reduce dwell time are needed to reduce delays. Read the report. (April 2018)
It makes no sense to redesign a major intersection for greater vehicle capacity while also trying to limit the number of cars that use the intersection. Modifying existing infrastructure to better serve the least impactful transportation modes saves money and reduces the environmental impact compared to larger construction projects. Tailored intersection design can also build culture around alternative transportation. Miles Mancinelli and Sam Weinstein developed a design to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and improve bus operations at the main UCSC entrance. Read their report. (May 2018)
Student-led planning to promote sustainable transportation in Santa Cruz
