Eli Cover
12/16/04
Philo 252
Environmental Ethics Project
Transportation
As Fort Lewis College grows, necessary adjustments need to be made year after year. Image, integrity, sustainability, and the college’s ability to function efficiently are inherently important. Growth is a process that needs to be guided to produce desired outcomes. Correct evaluations need to be made to assess the needs and future of the school. In a world that is being overrun by polluting corporations and environmental catastrophes, it is important to raise awareness and support the environment to the best of our abilities. We are all blessed to live in a town that is surrounded by the wilderness and its important teachings. The potential for positive change is ample.
In this evaluation I will discuss transportation at Fort Lewis College. Transportation has implications beyond what one might think. Not only does transportation involve the environment, it also involves every individual who attends FLC. Though the pollution produced at FLC is probably minimal, it is still important to raise awareness about pollution and to set an example for other colleges and even society. As FLC grows so will the need for transportation; more parking spaces will be needed as well as alternative transportation.
The implications for this specific evaluation are more social than ethical or environmental. However, the ethical and environmental implications are, and should be, at the core of an evaluation. Social implications start with the basic need for people to have a means of transportation. Whether it is by bus, car, bike, or just walking, something should be provided by the college. In addition, transportation has become a social activity that everyone engages in. We park our car in the same place, we ride the same bus, and we use the same trails and pathways. It is possible with a few suggestions to bring people together and support FLC. Ethical and environmental implications involve protecting nature, intelligent land use, and the ability to maintain essential infrastructure not only for FLC but for Durango as well.
The 2000 Master Plan provided some statistics about the volume of traffic at FLC. During peak hours, an average of four hundred cars was observed entering or exiting FLC depending on the time of day (MP). Predictions for the future suggest 16,000 cars will run near College Drive (MP). Fort Lewis College used a measuring method called Level of Service which is used to evaluate roadway conditions. It includes traffic volumes number of pedestrians, and percent of heavy vehicles. More information can be found within the Master Plan. A number of places were evaluated including 8th Ave.
As Durango continues to grow so will the college. It is necessary to project an image that will attract more students and provide transportation systems that will benefit Durango and FLC. To get an idea of what is currently taking place around campus I interviewed Mark Gutt who is a professor at FLC and currently in charge of developing the Master Plan. We discussed possible upcoming projects that will occur here at FLC, and what students can do to shape their college for a more personal experience. While talking to Mr. Gutt it became apparent that I missed one major obstacle in my research. The City of Durango is responsible for the roadways leading up to FLC. Therefore any possibilities for new or improved transformational systems must be presented to the city for consideration. However, Mr. Gutt informed me that that the relationship between the city and FLC is progressive and positive. Each depends on one another in certain ways.
It has been the goal of any Master Plan to provide attendants with a social friendly campus that allows students, as well as others, to enjoy the campus as a whole. A number of feasible projects exist, but the goal of my evaluation is to offer expressionistic, artistic, and a number of possibilities that allow students to be involved and to feel apart of something.
For years now the college has been entertaining the idea of a more sophisticated bicycle program that will cover the entire campus. Possibilities in the past have included shutting down the 8th Ave entrance, expanding the road to accommodate bikes and cars, and one way traffic with lanes for bikes and pedestrians. All discussions about 8th Ave however need to be presented to the city as well as FLC reps. At the University of Oregon highly developed bike routes have been implemented. These routes do not only exist on campus but throughout the city. This model is useful to Durango because it is still fairly small; it is possible that a similar system can be put in place. However it took a great deal of planning for this to occur, meaning that many people must get involved (N.W.F.). In the interview with Mark Gutt he told be that there is a strong possibility that by next year a pedestrian and bicycle path will be created from the College Dr. entrance up to campus. Recently this are has seen the most growth and many future plans are oriented around this area. According to the 2000 Master Plan, this will be the Main entrance to the college. Other suggestions for this area include more facilities for the athletic department, housing, and other departmental uses. Mr. Gutt hinted at the idea of a new Biology and Theater building. Also the Union building is currently too small and additions need to be made. These possibilities are not concrete and new innovative ideas are always welcome. This is merely the direction that the college is taking. Mr. Gutt also suggested that many people feel that it is in the best interest of the college to acquire more land for future growth expectances.
Currently I work for Durango Taxi and it occurred to me that a system could exist between the city, college, and the taxi service. This is an idea I brought up to a co owner of the business Art Olsen. We discussed the possibility of providing people with transportation through means of a shuttle. People could park there cars in a large space such as the Durango Mall and the taxi service would provide transportation to the college. Agreements would have to be made between participating organizations but the possibility is there. This idea would promote car polling and reduce the amount vehicles on campus. Also, the mall is a very social place and would provide people with a place to socialize while supporting the Durango Mall. Another way to reduce the volume of vehicles is to create, what mark Childs author of Parking Spaces, suggest as a Kiss and Walk. Fort Lewis College currently has a similar system, but it is mainly used for the bus pick-ups. Perhaps the parking spaces with meters were taken out of this area and used for a more social drop-off point. This type of system according to Childs also promotes a more pedestrian oriented atmosphere and bike use. Other possibilities offered by Childs include Asphalt Canvas, Art Park, and parking lot gardens. To me each one of these ideas can be supported by multiple departments. Asphalt canvas is my personal favorite because it has so much potential. This idea suggests that our parking lots can become pieces of art. This idea promotes the social atmosphere the FLC is looking for, while giving exposure to young artists. This idea can also be used for annual fund raising that will be given back to the students. The Art Park and parking gardens probably have more of an aesthetic purpose, but it still promotes the idea of bringing people together. The art park would consist of statues or pieces of art that are resistant to weather conditions, that will be placed around or even within parking lots. The same applies to parking gardens. Trees, flowers and other native plant life can be planted to create a warmer, more inviting place to park.
Solutions for progress are very simple BECOME INVOLVED. For starter it would be meaningful to create a tour of the trails and pathways at FLC. This would take some organization, but I’m willing to work with Dean Mullen and the Environmental Studies Program to make it happen. It will take the majority of the student body to create any kind of change that represents the way we feel up on campus. Personally I like to smell earth and to sit under a big shady tree. It is crucial for the student body to be heard. Students are encouraged to attend meetings that address the future of the college. They are also encouraged to give any suggestions and pursue them. It is not only important to be involved in the college but the city as well. Support and represent your community according to your intuitions and beliefs. As Mr. Gutt suggest to me, “this is an ever evolving process.” One in which everyone should take part. This idea of an evolving process is crucial and makes anything possible. On a more factual note it is important to create relations with faculty members and departments. If departments work together then the weight of any environmental issues is shared and can be overcome. Talk to department heads and see if they are interested in being involved in promoting awareness. With such a limited area upon this terrace that FLC is built on, it is important to be wise in decisions that we make. In an attempt to continue the socially intimate environment here at FLC we must look at transportation needs and how we can improve what we have. We all are under the constraints of what it means to move. Art Olsen used this statement to convey the fact that we all direct our movements in the ways we live, “there is a cosmological component in all living things that makes us move and want to move.” Depending on how you choose to move will make all the difference.
Works Cited
Childs, Mark. Parking Spaces. New York: McGraw Hill, 1999
FLC Master Plan. Oct. 1999
FLC Master Plan 2004- http://www.fortlewis.edu/administrative services/academic_labs/news.asp>
Gutt, Mark. Personal Interview. 13 Dec. 2004.
Olsen Art. Personal Interview. 20 Nov. 2004