Bicycle & Pedestrian Accommodation Policy

Summary/Purpose:  The Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Policy seeks to establish some of the means by which the university will accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists on campus and thereby strengthening these networks.

The University of Mississippi’s campus Master Plan establishes a framework and a vision through which the university can fulfill the primary academic and research mission of the institution while absorbing growth, enhancing the quality of life on campus, and establishing an ethic of sustainability. A cornerstone strategy of this framework is campus access and circulation. The campus Master Plan is structured around an “integrated approach to circulation” that relies upon well-utilized pedestrian and bicycle networks. In addition to decreasing vehicular traffic through campus, these methods of active transportation also promote healthy lifestyles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Utilization of bicycle and pedestrian paths necessitates the establishment and support of them. To support the viability of bicycle and pedestrian networks on campus, the university must seek out intentional design and engineering efforts with these networks as a top priority.

The university will facilitate and support bicycle and pedestrian networks on campus through the following design and engineering efforts.

• At the design stage of each project affecting transportation, roads and/or paths on campus, design teams must identify the ways in which the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists are met and an explanation of why the selected treatments were chosen. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee will review and provide input to design drafts as pertaining to bicycles and pedestrians.
• Bicycle facilities should conform to current best practices and guidelines—such as the National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Bikeway Design Guide, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, Federal Highway Administration Separated Bike Lane Planning and Design Guide, and relevant publications from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
•  Strengthen connectivity to off-campus bike routes by evaluating, establishing, and demarcating connection points from Oxford bike routes to campus entry points.
• The bicycle network on campus should be developed and enhanced through signage, bike lanes, bike boulevards, and shared lane markings.
• Ensure end-of-trip facilities are adequate and available in sufficient quantities, such as bike parking and shower facilities, especially when buildings are constructed on campus or renovated.
• Continue maintaining and widening campus sidewalks where necessary to strengthen the pathways for pedestrians especially as foot traffic patterns change on campus where new buildings and/or parking lots are constructed.

While this policy focuses on the ways the university can accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians through design and engineering, other efforts should be made to address education, enforcement, evaluation, and encouragement of bicyclists and pedestrians on campus.