Cars, trucks, buses, machinery, roads, parking, and the related use of fossil fuels, emissions, energy use, pollution and other environmental impacts are central to transportation and sustainability issues.  Changes in transportation technology and projected reductions in the use of fossil fuels promise a different future than the one that currently emphasizes gasoline-powered vehicles.  Washington State University has a large motor pool fleet as well as many vehicles used for campus facilities maintenance.  Many people still drive individual cars, SUVs, and trucks to campus and parking space and road maintenance is a perenial problem, even on the large WSU Pullman campus.

 

WSU should begin exploring new opportunities to modify and manage its vehicle and maintenance fleet, as well as encouraging a different future that emphasizes a quieter, safer, pedestrian-friendly campus.  Gasoline-electric hybrids, pure electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered cars and buses, battery-operated personal transportation devices (e.g., the Segway) all offer an intriquing view on how the campus vehicle fleet might change in the future.

 

Also see: The Segway Proposal for WSU

 

Can WSU begin purchasing and testing the next generation of vehicles now?  How can faculty and student access to peripheral campus research areas be guaranteed without everyone driving their own cars and trucks?  Can we retain walking access to campus research facilities and outdoor ecological laboratories used by students and faculty?  Can faculty, staff, students, and the community participate in vehicle evaluations and testing programs to achieve greater acceptance of potential changes in transportation technology?  How can greater efficiencies in energy use and pollution reducation be obtained?  These and many other transportation-related questions are worthy of the best campus planning efforts of administrators, faculty, staff, students, and the community.