Vehicular Concepts
Circulation
The first issue of vehicular circulation to be addressed is the need for a distinct, convenient, and attractive main entry that will welcome visitors and prospective students to Elizabethtown College. The intersection of College Avenue and Alpha Drive is the appropriate location for a main entrance, guiding visitors to arrive at Alpha Hall, where they can orient themselves and begin their visit to the College. Welcoming gestures such as entry walls, ceremonial gates, a wider driveway, special paving, and attractive plantings give a definite sense of arrival and present an attractive image to visitors, current students, and the community.
Secondary entrances are necessary for convenient access to the various areas of campus, but their appearance should be a reflection of their function and level of importance. This can be indicated by the driveway width, the type of material used, signage, planting, etc.
Once a visitor arrives on campus, they should be able to quickly orient themselves and gain an understanding of the importance and function of both roadways and spaces based on clear visual and spatial cues. Confining vehicular routes to the edges of the core of campus and creating a distinct hierarchy of driveways through the use of materials, signage, and plantings not only simplifies way finding, but also limits the functional and visual intrusion on significant campus spaces.
Primary vehicular routes on campus do not need to wind through the heart of the campus, disrupting the aesthetics of the College, to be organized, convenient, and functional. By consolidating vehicular routes and moving them to the outer edges of campus, an efficient flow of traffic can be accommodated and the pedestrian environment of the College campus enhanced.
Service access requires a slightly different approach because every building on campus must be directly accessible for basic service and maintenance needs. Such access does not have to be detrimental to the overall look of the campus, however. Where appropriate, walkways can be provided which will also serve the occasional/temporary needs of service vehicles. When not in use as a means of vehicular service access, these pathways accommodate pedestrian circulation and complement the overall aesthetic of the campus.
Parking
Parking is a major concern for Elizabethtown College, not so much because there is an immediate need for additional space, but because the existing parking is so randomly scattered across the campus. By consolidating the small, unorganized lots into several larger, distinct parking areas on the edges of the campus, vehicular circulation in general can be simplified and clarified. Unnecessary pavement can be removed from the heart of the campus and a great efficiency of space, materials, and maintenance efforts can be achieved.
Parking lot consolidation also allows the College to maintain greater control over the use of their parking facilities by more clearly designating the type of use (i.e., student, faculty, visitor parking). For first-time visitors, being able to locate appropriate parking areas reserved for them makes the visit more enjoyable. Additionally, if parking areas are clearly designated by use, the College will be better able to clearly identify the current and future parking needs.
In addition, the creation of larger lots will also allow additional spaces to be provided to accommodate future building expansion and campus growth and more green open space, which will increase the campus aesthetics.
Emergency Vehicular Service
This plan proposes several vehicular drives, on campus, to be removed for reasons of pedestrian safety and campus aesthetics. While aesthetically improving the campus, the removal of vehicular access to campus poses several problems Ð campus service vehicular access and emergency vehicular access to buildings on campus.
Fire, ambulance, and other service vehicles will have access to all buildings by means of reinforced concrete walks or asphalt walks wide enough to accommodate fire vehicles Ð at least 12 feet wide. These walks are to be used by pedestrians except for the occasional service and emergency vehicle.
Bicycle Paths
Many of the service and emergency vehicular access walks, with their increased width, lack of stairs and access to the majority of the campus, could accommodate bicycle traffic. A bike path system of the campus would not only be an environmentally friendly transportation alternative, but would help decrease the number of automobiles that enter the campus daily.
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