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: : NCSU Transportation > Planning

Planning and Analysis

The NCSU Transportation office regularly conducts short and long-range planning studies and operations evaluations focused on campus transportation activity patterns, system capacity and infrastructure needs, and University growth trends affecting how the NC State community travels to, around and between campus precincts. These studies cover issues such as Wolfline bus performance and capacity, Dan Allen Drive congestion and Western Avenue pedestrian crossing safety. Highlights of recent and current planning initiatives led by Transportation or in which staff particpates are listed below.

Physical Master Plan

The University conducted a campus master planning process in 2007, which outlines a vision for infrastructure improvements in all campus precincts, including the campus transportation network. The 2007 NC State University Physical Master Plan: A Campus of Neighborhoods and Paths provides design guidelines for pedestrian, vehicular and transit paths, as well as parking. This master plan acts as a foundation for shaping current and future transportation projects and is updated regularly as new campus development occurs.

The next update process is expected to begin in Spring 2012.

Campus Mobility Plan

In 2011, NCSU Transportation initiated a plan to look at 10 year implementation options and funding needs for the campus mobility system. Action plans and phasing recommendations will focus on the Wolfline transit system's capacity to handle future demand, service hour growth, route revisions, fleet characteristics, park & ride transfer facility needs, and benefits from future road access controls and/or new construction. This plan will be completed in June 2012.

For more information on this study, including Advisory Committee meeting minutes and details on upcoming meetings, click here.

Roadways and Traffic management

NCSU Transportation oversees traffic operations on all campus roadways, including intersection signalization, traffic speed and control signage. The department also manages gated access to selected parking facilities and parts of campus. Examples of planning and project work which the department directs on an ongoing basis include:

  • On-road sample annual counts and analysis of traffic levels and speeds
  • Traffic control signage needs
  • Special studies of campus roadway access restriction alternatives and associated traffic impacts
  • Accident patterns

Bicycle/Pedestrian Mobility

NC State aims to enhance its reputation for safe biking and walking in all areas of campus for recreation, as well as functional transportation. NCSU Transportation works closely with the University Police Department to monitor bicycle and pedestrian safety issues associated with bike-ped/vehicle and bike/ped conflicts, and promotes safe biking and walking practices through campus outreach, education and signage. Main and Centennial campuses feature multi-use path connections to the City of Raleigh's greenway system and designated bicycle routes. Several main campus streets have "sharrow" pavement markings, indicating roadways where vehicles and bicycles operate together in a shared travel lane. At present, nearly all campus pathways are accessible by both foot and bicycle, and popular gathering areas and walkways (such as the Brickyard and Free Expression Tunnel), can become quite congested. Currently, there are no in-street bicycle lanes in any NC State campus precinct.

In 2011, NCSU Transportation and the Office of the University Architect completed the Campus Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan to create more opportunities for bikeability and walkability at NC State. The Plan includes an implementation plan for recommended infrastructure improvements, and also covers topics such as enforcement and outreach. Download a PDF of the Plan here.

Monthly Wolfline Transit Service Review

Wolfline transit operations are monitored on a regular basis. In addition to monthly performance snapshot planning evaluations are conducted prior to every semeseter in order to make appropriate changes to Fall, Spring and Summer transit schedules and routes. Longer-range planning for service and related capital needs is conducted approximately every five years. The 2009-2014 Wolfline Transit Development Plan (TDP) summarizes Wolfline system performance data, assesses campus mobility and facility development trends and lays out prospective future Wolfline service improvement projects and associated costs. Much of this previous work is being revisited in the Campus Mobility Plan for 2012-2022.

Parking Supply and Siting

NCSU Transportation assists in the development of short and long-term parking plans in response to specific requests ranging from permit redesignation of existing parking spaces to impacts of major construction projects displacing or adding parking capacity on campus, thereby altering parking opportunities (and behavior) for our everyday customers.

We work closely with Capital Project Management, Design and Construction services, Office of the University Architect in reviewing all phases of planning for capital projects on campus. In addition, we annually update the parking inventory of nearly 20,000 spaces.

Transportation Sustainability

Transportation represents a key component of NC State's commitment to develop and implement a strategic campus sustainability plan that complements longer term approaches to reduce greenhouse gases and the University's carbon footprint. NCSU Transportation currently serves on the Campus Environmental Sustainability Team (CEST) and is chair of the Transportation Sustainability Workgroup. Implementation strategies and tactics for transportation-related elements of the NC State Sustainability Plan are under development.