Buffalo State College, the SUNY system’s only four-year university, is boxed in by an abutting urban expressway, museums, dense residential neighborhoods, and an historic Olmstead river park. With drive-alone rates far in excess of the surrounding neighborhood and peer institutions, Buffalo State College is fighting a losing battle with the automobile, resulting in large, unfriendly parking lots, lengthy traffic queues, constant complaints about parking, and the inevitable expense of a new parking garage.
Nelson\Nygaard led the transportation and parking strategy for Buffalo State College’s 10-year facilities master plan as part of a team of architects, landscape architects, space planners, and design professionals. Our approach was to help the college look outward beyond its campus to understand factors affecting travel decisions to the campus that in turn impact campus circulation, connectivity, and aesthetics.
After developing a rational parking policy, financial incentives to use alternative modes, and simple safety and design improvements, Nelson\Nygaard was asked to lead key aspects of the future campus development plan, which included a significant demand management program, improved neighborhood gateways, a new transit spine and plaza, and the replacement of interior parking lots with pedestrian plazas. The final plan was approved in the spring of 2010.