Author: Atherton, Dwight

8/12 – Hillside Road: Section Closure

As previously announced in UConn Today, Hillside Road will close to through traffic between its intersection with Gilbert Road and Glenbrook Road on Friday, August 12, 2022.

For those less familiar with the Storrs campus, the closure affects the section of Hillside Road adjacent to the Gampel Pavillion, Student Union, and Greer Field House.

The restricted portion of Hillside will remain open to Emergency, limited Service, and Transit vehicles only.

This Hillside Road sectional closure is expected to significantly improve public safety in this high pedestrian volume area by reducing vehicular conflicts.

Hillside Road drivers will be directed to use Alumni Drive to avoid the restricted area.

The efficacy of the Hillside restriction will be monitored during the fall semester, and its performance analyzed.

The University has long discussed the restriction, which is now being implemented for a trial period.

7/1 – HuskyGo Charter Service: WRTD Operations Begin

As of Friday, July 1, 2022, HuskyGo charter shuttle services will be provided by the Windham Region Transit District (WRTD) [860-456-2223; charters@wrtd.org].
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The WRTD will directly invoice the University agency, department, or school to which their charter shuttle services are provided.

The Shuttle Bus Charter request process and service provisions are unchanged.

The Charter Shuttle Request form can be found at https://transpo.uconn.edu/shuttlebuscharters/.

However, Facilities Operations will no longer bill the associated Purchase Orders initiated by UConn departments for these services.

5/31 – 6/3 – Route 32, Repaving Project

The Connecticut Department of Transportation will complete the milling and resurfacing project on Route 32, which may cause traffic delays for motorists in the area.

The project consists of milling and resurfacing a 1.94-mile segment of Route 32, Mansfield, from the Eagleville Fire Department driveway to Route 44 (Middle Turnpike).

The milling will begin Tuesday, May 31, 2022, to Friday, June 3, 2022, and the resurfacing will take place from Thursday, June 9, 2022, to Monday, June 20, 2022.

Motorists can expect lane closures during the regular work schedule for this project which is 7:00 am to 5:00 pm (Monday – Friday).

Motorists should be aware that modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions. Motorists are advised to maintain a safe speed when driving in this vicinity.

2/23 Public Transit Hearing (WRTD/HuskyGo)

The Windham Region Transit District proposes cost-neutral changes to its fixed routes to increase service frequencies while maintaining service hours.

Developed using public meetings and feedback, surveys, and operational considerations and tested using new computer modeling technology, the proposed route changes are designed to increase ridership while increasing service frequencies with improved connectivity.

The proposed route change benefits include improved service frequency between Storrs and Willimantic and within the town of Windham and the elimination of wait times at the new intermodal center in downtown Willimantic.

Several proposed changes were made possible through WRTD’s partnership with UConn’s Husky Go, including Sunday service between Storrs and Willimantic and running a WRTD route similar to Hunting Lodge in the summer.

Current Storrs-Willimantic bus, Willimantic City Bus, Hunting Lodge, and Danielson stops impacted by the proposed changes will remain within a 5-10 minute walk to the planned routes.

To learn more about the proposed route changes and make public comments, please join WRTD at their Board meeting room at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, February 23, or attend the meeting on Zoom.

You can find the latest details WRTD’s website.

Passio Go! – New HuskyGo Bus Tracking App

Passio Go! is replacing TransLoc Rider as HuskyGo’s official bus tracker application.

Passio Go! for UConn’s HuskyGo shuttle system is currently available for download from your myUConn BusTracker icon or you perferred App Store.

Husky Go’s use of TransLoc Rider will end on January 1, 2022, so download the new Passio Go! app today.

New Pedestrian Safety Laws: October 1st

Connecticut is enacting important new laws to protect pedestrians. They will help improve communication between pedestrians and drivers and make crossing the street safer for everyone.

⇒  At crosswalks, drivers must yield to pedestrians who show intent to cross by extending an arm or moving into the crosswalk.

⇒  A driver or passenger cannot open a vehicle door in a way that hits or gets in the way of a pedestrian or bicyclist.

More information about these changes can be found online here.

CTtransit – On-time Service Issues

On-time CTtransit services continue to be negatively affected by a Friday, September 3rd cyber security attack that impacted their communications and bus tracking systems.

We currently expect their services to normalize by the beginning of next week and apologize for any difficulties you have experienced during your public transit commutes this week.

Pedestrian Safety Reminder

Please remember that our campus is pedestrian-centric in advance of the fall semester and the return of thousands of students to campus.

All motor vehicle operators must remain alert and keep their speeds below 25 MPH when driving on-campus.

Drivers must always yield to pedestrians and be prepared to stop at all marked crosswalks. Never pass a vehicle that has stopped or is slowing down at a crosswalk.

Although pedestrians must appropriately care for their own safety, those found on university campuses tend to be distracted. Drivers, therefore, must patiently accommodate their passages.

Please remember to allow yourselves additional commuting time during the next few weeks and remember that all types of on-campus traffic will be unusually heavy.

Drive carefully!