Four sections in the heart of campus will be designated pedestrian-traffic only areas and off limits for service vehicles starting a week from this Sunday.
According to Pat Daly, director of physical plant at the University of Massachusetts, the walkway from the Whitmore Administration building ramp to the W.E.B. Du Bois Library, the parking garage traffic circle to North Pleasant Street, the courtyard between the Lederle Graduate Research Center and the Conte Polymer Research Center and the southside Lederle plaza will bar all but foot traffic after April 6.
The newly designated pedestrian zones were created to improve safety for those traveling campus by foot, University officials said.
An information campaign to educate students, current and new off-campus vendors, and service companies has been undertaken, according to Daly.
New maps delineating the designated pedestrian zones will be distributed and signs marking the zones will be erected in the coming days.
All of the zones will be regularly patrolled by the UMPD to help enforce the ban on vehicles.
According to University officials, for the first few weeks police officers will issue warning citations to those vehicles that violate the zones. Repeat offenders will receive moving violations.
Emergency service vehicles, including police, fire, and ambulances will still have access to the routes. Physical plant vehicles will also have the ability to enter the pedestrian-only zones to for snow removal purposes. All other vehicles will need to make arrangements with the UMPD to enter the restricted zones.
The Campus Landscape Improvement Project made the decision to create the pedestrian-only walkways. CLIP assists the University in creating policy to improve walkways, outdoor meeting areas, unifying architecture on campus, maintaining landscape materials and lessening the effects of parking.
Derrick Perkins can be reached at dperkins@dailycollegian.com.
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