What You Need to Know for Fall 2021: Getting Around a ‘Refilled’ Campus

Goodbye to unimpeded commutes, near-empty campus streets and a bounty of open parking spaces, which all became a thing of the past this week as the University of Maryland revved back up to near-normal, with students streaming to in-person classes daily and faculty and staff re-inhabiting offices and labs.

Add a full slate of building and transportation projects under construction on and around campus, and, to quote a million football coaches: Keep your head on a swivel.

“Campus is going to be crowded—we’re going to have more pedestrians, bikes, e-scooters and cars on campus than we’ve had recently,” said Cara Fleck, DOTS assistant director for marketing and communications. “It’s going to be important to be alert when you’re moving around campus, and drive with great care.”

Here’s more of what’s new in getting around:

BIKES AND E-SCOOTERS
If traffic’s got you down, consider that millions nationwide daily scoot onto a bike path or cruise along the bike lane to avoid vehicle traffic. Bike commuting might seem impractical at first, but think again—or let Tom Worth, UMD’s newly designated “bike concierge,” help you think it through. Whether it’s coming to class or work or just cruising around the neighborhood, he can advise on equipment, help you find the shortest routes and provide tips about riding in traffic. He’ll even accompany you on your fledgling ride and show you the ropes of bike commuting.

“We just want to make it easier for people to use their bikes for mobility… sometimes getting that little initial assist is all it takes to set someone off on a whole new approach to bicycling,” said Worth, DOTS bike program assistant and a bicycle instructor certified by the League of American Bicyclists and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. Contact him through this form.

DOTS has also introduced a “rainy day” incentive for bike commuters. Every 10 bike trips registered through the Smart Commute app, which is operational again this semester to promote sustainable commuting, earn cyclists a free one-day vehicle parking pass.

Visit DOTS’ BikeUMD and e-scooter page for more information, and to learn how to register your bike or e-scooter, which helps DOTS stay abreast of bike infrastructure needs and provides access to services like lock-cutting, in case you lose your key or forget your combination.

PARKING
For faculty, annual and daily permits (available in five-packs for $60) carry over unchanged, but those who’ll be telecommuting some of the time have a new option to potentially save on some fees this fall: two- and three-day weekly permits, which offer 32 or 48 uses, respectively.

Purchasers will use faculty-staff overflow lots rather than primary lots assigned to their buildings; carpool and green vehicle permit discounts apply only to annual permits. And in a blast from the past, campus parking gates became operational again this week.

Visit DOTS’ parking page for more information.

SHUTTLE-UM
All bus routes are operational, some with adjusted schedules. Masks are required on all Shuttle-UM buses this fall. In addition, NextBus app users have been receiving notifications that will transition to Umo Mobility for real-time arrival information this later this fall. A bonus: UMO includes trip-planning functionality that NextBus lacks. For now, NextBus is still the best app for receiving accurate real-time bus arrival information and service alerts.

Visit DOTS’ Shuttle-UM page for more information.

ROAD DETOURS AND CONSTRUCTION
Baltimore Avenue Improvement Project
The sidewalk on the west (main campus) side of Baltimore Avenue remains closed on UMD property as the Maryland State Highway Administration improves Baltimore Avenue from College Avenue to University Boulevard (Route 193); enhancements include a planted median with turn lanes, accessible sidewalks, updated pedestrian lighting and bike lanes.