Disabled students concerned about Campus Drive closure

The planned summer closure of Campus Drive to most motor vehicles has some disabled students concerned about access to classes and navigating the steep campus hills.

The plan "will be a pain for everyone, but it will have a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities," said junior American studies major Aaron Kaufman, who has cerebral palsy and usually uses a wheelchair.

"There are already so many inborn transportation obstacles on campus because of the hills, and this is just adding to it," Kaufman said.

The Transportation Services and Facilities Management departments announced last week that they plan to temporarily turn the section of Campus Drive between the "M" and Cole Field House into a pedestrian-only street to discourage driving, making the university environmentally friendly and safer for students.

The proposal would be a trial period for an idea that has been a part of the Facilities Master Plan since at least 1991. If deemed successful, the university may extend it to a year-round measure, Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Frank Brewer said.

Brewer said disabled students will be accommodated under the plan by paratransit buses — an on-demand disabilities-only shuttle service provided by the university — which will be allowed to travel through Campus Drive. The two regular shuttle buses that will have access to Campus Drive will also be handicap-accessible and run at 30 minute intervals during the summer.

"We don't expect a lot of volume during the summer, and that is why we are testing it then," Brewer said. "We will adjust the shuttle times to meet demand ... we feel that [the shuttles] plus paratransit will be enough to get everyone to their destinations."

But some students fear relying on paratransit and shuttle transportation will cut into the limited autonomy that some disabled students already face, Kaufman said.

"While I understand the university's goal of becoming a greener campus, it is already hard to walk around this campus, and there are plenty of inaccessible paths," Kaufman said. "The university should focus on accessibility first and then making this a pedestrian campus."

The Campus Drive proposal was released to the President's Commission on Disability Issues before the general university community, Brewer said. The committee overseeing the plan is still awaiting their recommendations and responses.

Currently there are no members or advocates of the disabilities community represented on the two committees working on the Campus Drive plan, Brewer said.

"I don't think they adequately consulted with anyone within the disabled community," Kaufman said. "It doesn't seem like they get all the challenges that people with disabilities face."

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