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| Five years ago, RIT was a very different place. |
| Dan Alsheimer |
THE BICYCLE PROGRAM
In-depth research has confirmed that more than 25 percent of our student, faculty, staff and visitor population come to campus on bicycles,” says Randy Vercauteren, director of Parking, Transportation and Building Services. “And we expect this number to continue to grow as our campus grows.” Armed with this knowledge, RIT has been actively implementing measures to make certain that bicyclists can continue to function on campus effectively and safely.
In 2008, RIT began initiating a Comprehensive Parking and Transportation Strategy, looking to improve several areas of transportation on campus. The strategy recognizes bicycles as “a key component of RIT’s transportation system,” and mentions the “diverse group of bicyclists at RIT,” citing those who use bicycles as a regular means of transportation and those who ride recreationally as groups who could benefit from a plan to ensure their continued presence on campus.
At the time the strategy was written, there existed very few amenities to make RIT a bike-accessible campus. In response to the various suggestions and complaints of bicyclists and pedestrians alike, the suggested strategy held five central components: improve bicycle facilities; provide more and better-located bicycle parking; improve navigation and signage; promote bicycling; and provide education. Since that time, several paths have been constructed and improved upon, including the path that diverges from the Quarter Mile as well as projects for better paths to Reynolds Drive near S Lot and Stern Lane behind Gosnell Hall.
Increased bike parking was also identified as a necessity for a more bike-friendly campus. Bicycle racks were installed under the covering of the Wallace Center (WAL, 5) facing Gleason Circle as part of this program. Areas still in need of better parking include the north side of the Student Alumni Union, the main entrances of the Student Life Center and Gordon Field House, and the residence halls. Weather protection is also a concern, and RIT is looking into covered parking as well as long-term storage for those who commute by car but use bicycles throughout the day.
These measures are often touted as a way to make the campus greener, as well as promote more active lifestyles of students and faculty. With the help of the cycling club, RIT is looking to make the campus even more welcoming to bicyclists and will continue to push for improvements in the bike program in the coming years.
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| Neal Danis |
THE CAMPUS CENTER
Five years ago, the Campus Center was a dream in the eyes of a few administrators and architects. Now it is the beating heart of student activity on campus, housing club space and conference rooms a plethora of student service oriented offices.
Before its current incarnation as the Campus Center, the space was taken up by the aging hulk of the Edith Woodward Memorial Pool. Opened with the Henrietta campus in 1967, the Woodward served as home to RIT’s varsity swimming and diving teams until 2003, when the Judson Competition Pool was completed with the Gordon Field House. Remnants of the building’s history can still be seen in the campus center. The fountain and waterfall in the center of the space cascades down what was once the old pool’s bleachers.
Completed in the fall of 2009, the Campus Center now holds the offices of Student Government, First Year Enrichment, the Center for Campus Life, the Club Resource Center and many of RIT’s Major Student Organizations. Also located in the new space are an abundance of conference rooms, the fireside lounge, the RIT reading room and the multipurpose Bamboo Rooms.
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| Neal Danis |
Opened in September 2010, the Vignelli Center for Design Studies serves as a resource for students and professionals from around the world in the field of modern design. Built onto the west side of James E. Booth Hall (BOO, 7A), the center houses classrooms, archival storage, offices and exhibitions. It aims to expand the scope of the projects and courses facilitated by RIT’s School of Design, as well as encourage interdisciplinary work between the E. Philip Saunders College of Business, the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences and the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.
The center is dedicated to internationally renowned designers Massimo and Lella Vignelli, who are also co-founders of the facility. Throughout their highly-decorated 40-year career, the Vignellis have created some of the most recognizable designs and logos for quintessential American and foreign companies, including the New York City subway signage, Ford Motor Company, Xerox, American Airlines and Bloomingdales. “In many ways, the Vignellis are to the world of design what Einstein was to physics,” explains R. Roger Remington, RIT’s Vignelli Distinguished Professor of Design. The 15,500 square foot facility houses the Benetton Gallery, which contains a number of examples of the Vignellis’ award-winning work.
The key concept for all the various elements of the Vignelli Center is a focus on Modernism. From graphic design to industrial design, interior design, new media design and beyond, the center looks to expand the discourse and implementation of modern design. “It is our dream that the center will foster studies related to Modernist Masters, exhibitions on their work and other related subjects. The center elevates RIT and positions the university on the international forefront of design studies,” Massimo Vignelli explains. “Lella and I are delighted to see our dream take shape.”
BUSSES AND BUS STOPS
Today, RIT’s buses generally arrive on time, on an understandable schedule and at convenient locations. This bus system is a project that has been many years in the making and has not always worked successfully. Until recently, there was no guarantee that taking the bus would be any faster than walking. There was only one bus, and it was on an unreliable schedule, taking about an hour to navigate to every stop on campus. Waiting for the bus was possible, but could be miserable if the weather was bad, and catching the bus was mostly a matter of luck. Today we have bus stops at Gleason Circle, the Residence Halls, Perkins Green, Colony Manor, Riverknoll, University Commons, Park Point and The Province. No matter where you live on campus, you can catch a bus to class. And now that we have more than one bus, you won’t have to wait an hour for your ride.
Despite all the improvements, there is still work to be done. The schedule posted online is largely incomprehensible, and as of yet there is no map with bus stop locations; you have to figure that out for yourself. But it’s hard to complain about minor inconveniences when so much improvement has occurred so fast. Are there things that could be done to make it better? Of course there are. For example, service to Marketplace Mall could be expanded. Or buses could run later so people could get home from late night activities. But, at the very least, the buses are no longer painful to figure out and can be used conveniently. That’s really all they are here for.
