Work Begins on Alumni Drive Complete Street Project
By Gina Federer
Temporary vehicle and bike lane striping was completed in Lot Z over Spring Break as part of a major initiative aimed at improving campus connectivity, safety and accessibility.
The Alumni Drive Complete Street is the first of several planned complete streets outlined in the 2023 Campus Facilities Plan and supports the university’s strategic vision by creating a more pedestrian- and micromobility-friendly environment while ensuring efficient road use for all campus travelers.
The Alumni Drive project stems from the Campus Bikeways Project, an initiative from the Department of Transportation Services in partnership with Facilities Planning that included a feasibility study and preliminary design process to thoughtfully integrate separated bike lanes on major campus corridors.
Alumni Drive from Stadium Drive to Mowatt Circle will get dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian sidewalks and improved traffic flow as part of a broader effort to improve connections between the north and south residential communities and the central academic core. Major construction will take place during the summer to minimize disruptions, with traffic detours in place to maintain north-south access for vehicles.
The temporary striping was done last week to address immediate safety concerns; additional striping in Lot 1 is planned for the summer. Construction on the first segment of Alumni Drive, from Stadium Circle to Field House Drive, is also set to begin this summer. The full project, including permanent vehicle and bike lanes in Lots Z and 1, is expected to be completed by summer 2026.
A key component of the project is its integration with the infrastructure of the state’s coming Purple Line. The new complete street will connect with the existing Purple Line bike path and align with a signalized intersection at Alumni Drive and Campus Drive now under construction.
