Earlier this fall, we published an article about Transportation and Parking on campus and how that will be changing in the future. The UNMC community was invited to make its voice heard via the survey and open campus forums.
Hundreds attended the forums and more than 4,200 responded to the survey. Thank you! Your feedback was invaluable and has helped us to move forward on alternatives that will work for you.
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LIVEGREEN |
by Melanie Stewart |
Many had comments on walking and biking to work. Per your request, additional bike racks have been ordered to add to some locations, creating bike-parking opportunities in locations that didn’t have them. Please make sure to always secure bikes when parking, and never secure them on steps, hand railings or in front of doors.
We also heard that a lot of you understand the environmental benefits to carpooling and public transportation and would enjoy the financial savings as well. We completely understand some of your reservations about using these programs and so we are exploring:
- Subsidized bus passes. You save money on parking, gas, and wear and tear on your car while getting to work at little to no cost to you. We are working with Metro to ensure times and routes will work for employees and students, along with increasing reliability.
- Emergency ride home program. This will get you home free of charge if your carpool buddy has to leave unexpectedly or you are sick and can’t wait for the bus.
- ZipCars: Cars you can check out and use in an emergency or to run to off-campus errands or appointments if you didn’t drive that day.
- Carpool matching: Finding different ways to match you up with others on campus who not only live nearby but also like the same music (or maybe sports talk?) as well as other parameters like smoking, pets in the car, etc.
- Working with the city to connect bike trails to make it safer to get here as well as pedestrian bridges and good sidewalks for walking.
- Bike storage boxes and showers for those riding/walking in.
Plans are being developed to turn these ideas into pilot programs this spring and summer.
For an additional update on parking, please see todays article in UNMC Today
I like the idea of shuttling the patients from an offsite lot. Take them directly to the door they need. Have someone waiting at the door to greet them, with a wheelchair if necessary, and direct them or take them to where they need to be. This is a big, intimidating place, it's hard to find your way around when you work here. lf you are not feeling well and need to be here as a patient or have other business as a visitor it becomes even more challenging. A couple of vans and cell phones to coordinate pick-ups and drop-offs could really ease stress for our visitors. When appointments are made, direct the visitor to the correct offsite lot and then pick them up quickly in a warm vehicle. They do it at Methodist Hospital and the Park and Go at the airport. I think we can figure it out too! People would really appreciate it.