Nicholas Kosar
Wells + Associates was engaged by the University of Delaware (UD) to seek ways to enhance the University’s existing shuttle service and envision how the shuttle system could evolve to meet the future needs of the university community. The project included both qualitative and quantitative assessments of shuttle services at the university and resulted in the adoption of new shuttle routes and schedules that are currently operational.
Our work encompassed four core services while taking into account service optimization, demand management, and stakeholder and community engagement:
- A review of existing shuttle services
- Recommendations to enhance existing services
- An assessment of future campus needs
- The development of three-year and five-year plans for the bus service to meet future campus needs
Background: University of Delaware Population and Transportation
The University of Delaware, located in the small city of Newark, has a student population of approximately 24,000 and a staff of just under 5,000, with first-year students required to live on campus. While downtown Newark is rated as “Most Walkable” by the EPA National Walkability Index, with a WalkScore of 74, approximately 60% of students live off-campus, with campus activity divided among numerous campuses. The UD Shuttle system carries over 1 million passengers per year. (1)
Use of Background Data
Our work embraced the use of data science to make both assessments and data-driven recommendations. Data was gathered from the university’s transportation services and geospatial services, as well as various open-source databases. We analyzed a variety of information, including:
- Study area, such as residential, facility, and parking locations
- End-user, such as class locations and timings, registration periods, and ridership statistics
- Service area, such as bus stop locations, walkability, and non-UD transit availability
- Fleet, such as maintenance and operational costs
- Route, such as peak hour traffic and shuttle turning radius information
Stakeholder Interviews: Engaging with Staff and Students
Our team interviewed groups of staff and students to determine the shuttle priorities that best address the needs of the UD community.
Key themes that emerged from the stakeholder interviews were a focus on:
- Hours of service
- The university’s Science, Technology and Advanced Research (STAR) Campus
- Route needs
- Alignment with campus changes such as student population increases, a shift to Conference USA, and graduation events
- Challenges with the university’s transportation app (at the time of the study)
- Regional connectivity
Electric Vehicle (EV) Assessments
Our team partnered with CleanRide to assess issues related to shuttle electrification within both three-year and five-year timeframes. This EV study included analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of EV shuttles, a feasibility assessment, vehicle emissions analysis, funding opportunities, whether to contract the services or provide them in-house, and more.
Recommendations: Optimized Shuttle Routes, Service Optimization, Demand Management, Cost Savings, and More
Wells + Associates recommended new, optimized shuttle routes and schedules for the University that are currently operational. These routes were developed through extensive analysis of ridership patterns, bell times, and registration activity with respect to their facility occupancy.
Our recommendations were made to enable cost savings and enhance student connectivity and fleet utilization rate. They also included EV adoption assessments.
Our recommendations helped the UD community determine the best next steps for their shuttle transportation program including the benefits of:
- availability and use of fleet management software,
- a student transportation fee, and
- regular student transportation surveys to provide insights into price sensitivity, travel demand and preferences, and improve student satisfaction.
We also provided an implementation strategy to improve and increase innovation, modernization, and operational and cost efficiencies.
