Welcome to the web site Master Plan 20/20. We invite you to leave comments that will provide input we need as the ASU Master Plan is updated. Thank you for your help in this process!
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Welcome to the web site Master Plan 20/20. We invite you to leave comments that will provide input we need as the ASU Master Plan is updated. Thank you for your help in this process!
Comments
Just some ideas....
1) Think of something that will actually decrease smoking. Might as well drop the "No smoking within 50 feet of any building" rule, as no smoking student on campus seems to have the decency to respect it as they continue to smoke outside of building and cannot have the respect to dispose to the cigarette butts properly even when they are breaking the rule in the first place. Something needs to be done about this, take a look at the shelter outside of Hoey in and out and look at all the cigarette butts people just toss on the ground. This does not look good at all and I believe many people would agree.
2) Plant more trees and maintain the grass (i.e. Sanford Mall)
3) I read of this possible idea in the newspaper, which is not a bad idea either, which is capping enrollment growth. Right now, ASU and Boone is crammed as it is, and continually letting in an unprecedented amount of students that this area cannot handle is NOT helping. It is unfair that students who do not want to move off campus, basically being forced off campus because more people were let in that could be held here. This university is over-stretching it's resources and it is doing nobody any good, as it is creating congestion, causing classes to be over-crowded and causing a shortage of housing.
Greenway
Providing a safe way to cross 105 near Wendy's and connecting the Greenway to campus would provide alternatives to driving my car 2 miles to campus.
Cultural Perspectives
ASU needs to expand its cultural resources and celebrate its regional cultural resources--which are recognized nationally. Revitalizing the Appalachian Cultural Museum would be a worthy start.
ASU 2020- Transportation
APPALCART--
There are ways to utilize the Applecart and reduce parking spaces by more effectively completing the needs for student transportation. This can be done by utilizing more distant route buses to additional locations. The PART Mountaineer Express is beginning to have more ridership. As I traveled home from the office this evening, I saw about 15 waiting for the 6:30 bus to Greensboro. The Friday buses have many more students.
Do all of you know you can add an additional PART Bus in Winston-Salem to ride all the way to Durham? Also the PART bus ends at the Amtrak station in Greensboro where travel North to as far as Boston and south to Florida and southwest to Atlanta and New Orleans can be made. You can also use the PART bus to pick up a commuter to the GSO airport.
ASU Student Affairs should make begin by making surveys of how many students would ride buses to major cities. Then they should make contact with city/area transportation departments in Raleigh, Charlotte, Asheville and other appropriate cities to add additional routes so students won't have to bring their cars to Boone. It may be that a proposal for mass transit may have to be written to obtain the capital investment to start this venture. Perhaps the Boone/High Country Convention Bureau can be involved?
Once these additional routes are in place, then additional Appalcart buses can be run on the existing routes to meet the needs of students.
Great Idea!
I totally agree. I will be a student at ASU this Fall semester and I'm trying to figure out how I will be able to get home to Raleigh or visit family in Asheville without bringing a car to school and spending a ton of money. If these buses to the major cities collected fees I would be willing to pay for a ride and I know my friends would also. Not only would this supply a great service to the students of ASU, but the transportation system would probably make some money too. I don't know what bus costs are and such, but it seems like a reasonable proposal. There are students from all over North Carolina and I know these extra bus routes would be a great help! Even if they only ran once every other weekend for example, I'm sure students would make use of them.
Public Transportation
Public transportation is vital to the campus, in terms of keeping us environmentally sound, providing alternatives to driving/parking, and helping us move around campus safely, especially as our campus buildings stretch out further and further from the center. I'd like to see us have buses that go from remote parking to campus every five minutes (like the buses at remote parking in the airport)-- so that you don't need to plan your schedule. I'd like to see a more robust collaboration with AppalCart to extend service so that more and more of us can use public transportation to get to work. This will become increasingly important if gas prices continue to rise. And public transport will help alleviate congestion and traffic problems.
I've been rear-ended on River Street, and I've felt the same frustration as everyone at not being able to find a parking space. I would gladly ride a bus to work if one came to my part of town.
Re: Public Transportation
I would also take the bus to campus if it stopped anywhere near my house. I live near a major road around 4 miles from campus. The other thing that would make bus riding more pleasant and more feasible for more of us would be to build more bus shelters. Some mornings I see students huddling in the wind and rain waiting for the bus by New Market; I can't imagine that's going to make more people want to use AppalCart.
Appropriate use of Space
In an effort to preserve the less developed land owned by the university (much of which is by the football stadium) and in order that the university not waste its resources purchasing more land (an activity which as negative effects on the economy of Boone and therefore relations between the university and the town); the university should seriously consider appropriate development policy. We have some very wonderful green space on campus which serves many purposes from recreation to flood mitigation; however, there are several places where small undeveloped spots remain under the guise of useful green space without offering any environmental or recreational benefits to the university or the community as a whole. Appropriate development balances the needs for natural habitat wellness, green aesthetic/charm, and community/economic built environment needs by creating a more dense, socially conscious and accessible atmosphere. Most of the recommendations given by the Lawrence Group reflect the ideas of appropriate development: day-lighting Kraut Creek, building on the south side of Rivers (between Trivette and Walker Halls), opening up Appalachian Street to Rivers (there should be more streets reopened through campus), replacing Edwin Duncan with 3 buildings on the same footprint, and replacing both Greer and East with two building each--utilizing space behind Greer that has no function today. These are not the only things we must do to improve the accessibility, health and sense of community on our campus--we must remember to tree line any old streets we reopen or new ones we construct, we must make sure that traffic on all streets in and near campus remain calm (there are many ways to do this--starting with decreasing the number of lanes on Rivers Street and Hardin Street). The university has also neglected another resource it has in the geography and planning students along with the appropriate technology students--people who, with the guidance of their professors, can produce the most valuable recommendations for the universities future infrastructure growth (both its gray and green infrastructure). To sum up, we must act like the town campus we are instead of trying to create this artificial "UNC-like" country campus. We started as a vibrant part of the small town of Boone and should remain integrated with the larger present day today.
Rivers Street
Making Rivers Street more pedestrian safe should be a high priority. We need more marked pedestrian cross walks, especially in front of the JET building. Rivers street needs a center median and left hand turn lanes, this can be done by eliminating the bike lanes. Remove bike lanes, they really don't take you anywhere. Other than providing on street parking for football and other special events the bike lanes aren't used.
Do not remove bike lanes, but do add crosswalks
We need more bike lanes, not fewer. I don't find traffic on Rivers St. too bad on normal (i.e. non game) days. But more cross walks should definitely be a priority on both Rivers and Hardin St. I'm always seeing people jaywalk across Rivers near the JET building and across Hardin street near Stick Boy; this is a clear indication that crosswalks are needed in both places.
Bike Lanes
More bike lanes, fewer cars would be better. To be effective, the should be integrated with new bike lanes on roads that connect to major student housing areas - the 105, the 421, Blowing Rock Rd. The city would be so much better!
Vehicles on campus
It might be possible to free up some parking spaces close to campus by limiting long term parking for state vehicles to remote lots. For example, a van could be parked on campus for 48 hours, but if it's not going to be moved for a couple of weeks, it would need to be parked in the State Farm lot. For enforcement, Traffic and Parking could put chalk marks on the tires and ticket departments that park state vehicles in violation of the policy.
cars on campus
Do not allow freshmen to have cars on campus.
Food improvements
To begin with, everyone knows that cafeteria food isn't always the best, but it seems as though the food here is below average than what you would expect. It would be nice for students to have more options when the new dining hall opens. For example, it would be nice if the university would look into seeing if Subway would be willing to re-locate on campus, as more students would be willing to go there being able to use their meal cards, versus their own money when on campus students are required to have meal plans in the first place
local organic food
At least one dining space should buy all organic food from local farmers. Perhaps it would be a bit more expensive and vary according to the weather and availability, but many people would support this effort on behalf of tastiness and health.
Recycling
I would like to see at least one bottle/can recycling container right next to every rubbish container. Overwhelmingly, when students are given a choice they will recycle. However, when students only see rubbish bins and no recycling bins they toss their recyclables into the rubbish container. Thank you.
Sustainable Growth - Quality not Quantity?
Boone has rapidly grown from a largely rural area into a bustling mini-urban town. I have been here about 5 years and have seen many changes, let alone heard of the many more changes from the last 10 years. I fear that if this growth is not controlled in the correct way we will end up with just another sub-urban strip mall town with traffic jams, pollution, fast food and absolutely nothing special about it. The spacial limitations of our area, including flat land to build and water to consume should lead the town and the university to both focus on QUALITY and not QUANTITY of 'growth'. Our area cannot sustainably support higher populations~ but it can support higher educational opportunities and better quality services.
I don't think ASU should turn into Duke but I do quickly see ASU falling behind other schools in areas of planning and sustainability or 'green' programs. I subscribe to the AASHE bulletins (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) (http://www.aashe.org/archives/bulletin.php) and get to weekly see schools that are receiving thousands and even millions of dollars to start sustainability programs that ASU has had for 20+ years. This master plan 20/20 is our chance to get back to the front of the pack and set ASU apart again as a leader in these fields as we have already been in the past. Spending millions on football stadiums and bridges over rivers st is great, but it doesn't directly do much to improve the quality of life or educational opportunities for students. When it comes time for me to seek that doctoral program for 'sustainability' I can only look out west or across the ocean for programs to meet my needs. Then I have to come BACK to Boone and help fix all the problems~ lets get things right the first time around! - Quality not Quantity ASU!
Anonymous
I agree with you that care should be taken to assure that our growth is quality growth, however as far as limiting growth goes that is difficult. The number of new freshmen that ASU is expected to accept in the future is determined (from Raleigh) by high school graduate demographics projected over the next 10 years. That is, as the number of high school graduates increases the number of freshmen slots for all colleges and universities must also increase.
Unless we can limit North Carolina's birth rate, close our state borders, or tell high school graduates that they simply won't have the same chance at college as their parents or older siblings, then we have to plan for that upward demographic trend. And more students, means more teachers and more staff. All these additional people will increase the demand for housing, food, clothing, student employment, banks, etc. Such an increase in demand has to be accompanied by a corresponding increase in housing, restaurants, convenience stores, banks, clothing stores, etc. Otherwise we will end up with increased unemployment rates, homelessness, crime, etc. Unless someone figures out a way to make Boone and ASU a less attractive place to live (and who would want to do that?) then we have to plan for economic growth equal to demand.
Moving around campus
Walkways, bike routes and car routes are not well laid out to be functional. Bike lanes end at Harper Hall - Who's idea was that? The walkway between Rivers St deck and Holmes Center is a major route during games and other events and is one of the narrowest sidewalks on campus.
The Library deck is supposed to help the community to use the library but it is hard to stay on the convoluted and narrow route between the 2. Prospective students are supposed to meet at the JET building for campus tours and must immediately cross a four lane road without a crosswalk; good first impression. The route from the Raley traffic circle toward central,campus is extremely narrow and should be more than doubled in width.
The route between Old Belk and Smith Wright need to be more open and inviting. The bottleneck in the walkways between Rankin and Duncan needs to be straightened and widened. The area between Rankin and Varsity needs to be filled in to make a long gently sloping ramp toward the tunnel to eliminate the middle stairs and make it possible for wheelchairs and bikes to use the route. It is a long way around for wheels.
In general eliminating stairs where possible will make it easier on the snow removal crew since stairs are the hardest part to clear (Cost savings). The crosswalk between Trivette and Justice is poorly lit at night. The drive coming out of Stadium lot is very steep and should be switched with the parking lot extension nearest Gardner.
The stairs beside the gazebo at the duck pond are too steep and dangerous and need to be reworked. There needs to be a real sidewalk at the upper end of the Raley lot toward down town. The area between Valborg and Turchin Center is hard for cars and walkers to navigate. This could be made into a nice circle for pick ups and take some of the pressure off of the Raley Circle. There are a lot of people walking biking and driving to a lot of places and with a little thought we could make it easier and reduce congestion and safety hazards.
nice analysis, "moving around campus"
I generally agree with "moving around campus" -- somebody's really paying attention to what works/doesn't work. None of the walkways on campus are laid out to be very functional for students who have 10 minutes to get between classes. A big problem is that the walkways are also truck-ways for deliveries and maintenance. We have major pedestrian/vehicle interface problems that seem to be shrugged off as something pedestrians have to adapt to and watch out for (blaming the victim?) until something very heinous occurs, when a bandaid will be offered like that ridiculous skywalk that further privileges those who want to/can afford to pay extra to park in that deck.
When you recognize that students are not really paying attention to where they are going (texting, sleepy, rushed, IPods), I think we have a responsibility to take that into account (and come on, they're not going to climb up the stairs to the skywalk when they could dash quickly across the street with so much less effort). Lawrence Group, earn your fee and propose ways in which the University can reduce the pedestrian/vehicle interface in a way that makes it safer, more efficient, and more pleasant to walk around campus. University folks, we need to face the choice of prioritizing who benefits from campus layout: vehicles or pedestrians.
So far, vehicles are winning, and that's wrong. Pedestrians are not organized enough to put up an argument against the Necessity of Efficient Access to Everything that is espoused by, for example, physical plant folks who are defending their interests, as is their right. Until people come first, the campus is going to be designed for vehicles. Drivers of cars and trucks seem to be confused about what is vehicle-space and what isn't -- they don't give right-of-way to pedestrians, they park on the sidewalks (let alone the bike lanes), they force people to walk around them in the street, they zoom through the parking lots to get that primo spot. Why not?
This is their space. And pedestrians have to walk through parking lots or jaywalk just to follow the most efficient line between destinations. This is a design problem (can be fixed). If we want a human environment, we have to design it for humans and inconvenience those vehicles. It would be SO good. Come on, take a stand for what's right, rather than what's expedient. Invest in people.
pedestrian walkways
Areas around campus should be more pedestrian friendly. In particular, at the intersection of Rivers St. and 321/Blowing Rock Rd., there should be a delay between the pedestrian walk signal and the green light for cars. In addition, there should be walkways with delays as well as bike lanes at other intersections: 321/Blowing Rock Road with Hillandale Dr., and 321 with 105. The intersection at 321 and 105 is especially dangerous for pedestrians. I have called the DOT about these issues, but they said there is not enough funding to alleviate these problems. I have almost been hit several times while in the pedestrian cross walk at 321 and Rivers St.
Walking around campus
Add a greenway , bike or walkway from convocation center , behind JET, behind Harper hall, behind parking deck behind CAP building , between quinn and allow access to rivers street parking deck . Would connect propsed parking deck at holmes convocation center and the hill street lot to the current rivers street parking deck and stadium heights for events at holmes or stadium heights. This would also connect to towns propsed greenway connection over to 105 and greenway road.
Moving around campus 2
I agree with the writer above. Some other problems. The parking lot below the music building feeds into River Street. However, the light (facing River Street only) will not change for a car waiting to make a turn onto River Street unless a pedestrian walks by and pushes the button. If a driver is trying to make a left turn there during busy times, it is dangerous.
The route from Wey Hall to Raley and the main campus makes no sense. Exiting Wey, the straightest line between two points involves walking down the sidewalk on the right to River Street. However, there is no pedestrian walkway on the street on the right side of the intersection. There is also no button to allow pedestrians to change the light. The idea appears to be that all pedestrians on the right sidewalk coming from Wey are supposed to cross the street to the left and THEN push the button, cross River Street, and THEN cross back again to the right to the sidewalk heading towards Raley.
In other words, the pedestrian must make a large U turn, waiting for lights and dodging traffic, instead of just going straight across River Street on the right in the first place. It is against human nature to do that, so people cross on the right by just taking their chances. Since cars exiting the Raley Parking lot turn left there with the green light, they run the risk of hitting pedestrians, who are also trying to cross on that side at the same time.
The logical thing to do would be to put a crosswalk on the right hand side of that intersection and adjust the light to give those pedestrians time to cross before turns are made in either direction by cars. The next logical thing to do would be to put a sidewalk on the left hand side of the drive going towards Raley so that those who are already on the left hand sidewalk don't have to cross the street and double back on the other side to the only existing sidewalk on that side.
vehicles on campus
The traffic in and around Boone gets worse every year. Freshmen should not be allowed to have cars. That would be a huge help with the traffic and the campus parking situation. We have a good bus system, and if we'd improve the biking and pedestrian routes (especially 321 at the Wendy's intersection - I don't know how no one has been killed there yet) cars wouldn't be a necessity for freshmen.
Pedestrian Bridge
I realize that the Wendy's intersection is not part of campus, and that the university cannot mandate changes to the town, but I would really love to see a pedestrian bridge at the Wendy's intersection. As more people are walking around Boone, and as that intersection is essentially the hub of the town, a pedestrian bridge would promote walking by providing a very safe way to get around that intersection.
Appalcart Routes
I lived on or near campus during my undergraduate stay at ASU. I had no problem walking to campus. Now, as a graduate student, I'm farther away from campus. I started this year off trying to use the Appalcart. The green and orange routes both come near my apartment. However, they both left me multiple times at a stop. I even tried to get on much earlier before my class started. They do send out vans to pick up the overflow, but I can still end up being late to class. I felt forced to buy a parking pass for on campus parking. With more and more students coming to Appalachian State each year, this problem will only get worse. I think the Green route is too large...maybe break it into 2 routes? Also, maybe have 2 orange buses following each other and/or green buses during peak times?
There are alternatives
I agree. Most schools do not permit freshmen to have cars. If the fact that freshmen can have cars at ASU is an incentive for them to come here, they are coming for the wrong reason. * I have been told that because there is no public transportation to Boone from all areas, the freshmen need to have a way to get here. I don't think necessity is the reason for all the cars that students bring to Boone. If driving a personal vehicle is the only way a student can get here, then exceptions to a no-car rule could be made on a case-by-case basis. * The PART 421-Mountaineer bus service going east to the Greensboro bus station can serve a good number of students, probably the majority of in-state students. * A greener environment should be a major reason to limit vehicles. Students can get to Boone by riding with friends and family. ASU should be setting a green standard - only allow juniors and seniors to bring their cars. * Let the private parking business supply the need and contribute to boosting the economy as well. * ASU should take the money it would use for parking and traffic control for additional vehicles and use it as an incentive for more long-distance bus routes (like the PART 421-Mountaineer) from other areas like Charlotte, Asheville, Johnson City.
Buses to Charlotte and Asheville, etc.
I agree with the above post. It makes sense to simultaneously prohibit freshmen from having cars on campus and institute bus service from Boone to Charlotte, Asheville, and other destinations. I know this won't serve all freshmen because some have special circumstances which require them to have a car to go off the mountain, but perhaps there could be a remote lot for them to park their cars in for a fee and a bus route that would take them to that lot on the days they need their cars?
Staff as the basic structure and backbone of the university
While hospital programs, parking spaces, traffic, green space and energy and specialized programs are all vital parts of this important discussion, does anyone even consider the overwhelming burden put upon staff during the course of all the growth? The expectations for staff are large and staff are fundamentally the people who keep this university running smoothly. It is staff who clean our buildings, de-ice the walkways, ensure our buidlings are warm in the winter. It is staff who make sure the paychecks come at the end of the month and that students get registered and the university collects the money at the end of the day. It is staff who have a first line of communication with prosepective students ( the future of our university's growth) and it is staff who make sure these students eat, attain their rental books, check out library materials. It is staff who answer the questions, numerous and often complicated. It is staff who point the student in the right direction, often pointing faculty in the right direction too. It is staff who make sure the mail runs, and the health services runs and I could go on forever.
The point is that staff should be well compensated and acknowledged for their important roles and off campus. It would be a wonderful thing if the university could really start placing emphasis on maintaining and encouraging great staff and backing it up with not just words, but actions. Face it, without staff, this university would grind to a halt.
Staff Needs
While staff are incredibly important, this conversation and blog are about the physical master plan. Staffing needs would more appropriately be addressed in another forum. Staff and faculty are intrinsic to the discussion when discussing cultural perceptions - such as "I deserve a parking place adjacent to my building". Just as most other universities do not allow freshamn to have cars, most faculty and staff have much harder parking situations than ASU. This expectation is one of the problems with parking on campus today.
Parking/driving/walking
I think there are many areas around campus that are dangerous whether you drive or bike/walk. Trying to leave anytime between 4-6 p.m. heading out Hardin towards King Street and on through New Market is terrible. This has been a problem for many years and nothing has been done about it. I agree with the Wendy's intersection, but there also needs to be a regular crosswalk at the corner of Blowing Rock Road and Clement/Faculty Streets near the Convocation Center. This is a very dangerous intersection where there has been plenty of vehicular as well as pedestrian accidents. Also, most cities/towns will not let you build if you don't have adequate parking spaces for the business. I don't know how the Convocation Center could have been built without parking. And now the education building is going to be built without enough parking. If the land isn't there for the whole package then don't build it. Not to say we don't need this building, we just have to provide adequate parking for it.
Finish Sidewalk along Steep Section of Stadium Dr.
he University needs to build a sidewalk along the entire side of Stadium Drive that is adjacent to their property. Currently, students must walk in the road as they descend the steep and (at night) dark corridor that links the university to a major neighborhood. The university should work with the Town to make each of their sections of Stadium Drive sidewalk a priority-- The university building the portion along the steep section that is adjacent their property and the Town continuing it beyond.
green energy
I agree that all new construction must use some form of green energy. It could be wind, hydro, or solar (solar is probably cheapest), but I think all new construction needs to look at this. Easy pedestrian access is also important. Charlotte pulls some hydro power from Lake Norman. Perhaps something similar can be done.
Sustainability
I think the new master plan should approach this school's rapid growth sustainably. This is an opportunity for the school to take a lead in sustainable growth on college campuses. This is a beautiful area and Appalachian State should make it a top priority to protect it while welcoming economic growth. I think that the best thing Appalachian can do for the community and surrounding area is to grow responsibly.
As Green & As Sustainable As Possible
Yes! Our campus needs to be green and reflect the award-winning Dept.of Technology devotion to sustainability! Incorporate green and sustainable systems in all new building. Consider solar orientation in the construction of the facility. Retrofit the old--even areas as elementary as solar path lighting could enhance the campus and ultimately cut energy bills.
Professional School
I would like to see plans in place for a professional school in this meeting. To stay competitive in the University Landscape, ASU is going to need to attract Doctoral students. Western North Carolina needs both a Law School and a Med school, I say we get both!
Med and Law
Med schools need to be associated with major state-of-the-art medical centers. The only one in the mountain region that I am aware of is Mission Memorial in Asheville, and there have been discussions about opening a branch of UNC Med. there, If those discussions lead to action, that should be sufficient with Wake Forest Med. and a branch of UNC Med. at CMC in Charlotte. Boone is not a good candidate for a med school.
Law School - Med School
...and put them WHERE? Considering our limited mountain top square footage, I'd recommend to do better what we do best already. We started as a teacher's college. Strenghten those roots. We are leaders in Technology. Strengthen that. We are strong in sciences and sustainability. Strengthen them. Then encourage our Grads to expand geographically and go to where NC already is growing law schools and med school strengthen them. Alternatively, if such is needed by the state, build one in the area of Gastonia where land is affordable and the population and multiple hospitals are there to support it.
No Medical School for ASU
I agree that ASU should do every thing it can to emerge ever-more prominently as a university. Perhaps new professional programs is the way to go, depending on the program. I disagree with the notion that ASU would be an appropriate site for a medical school. ASU is only 90 minutes from the closest medical school, Wake Forest in Winston-Salem. In addition, two others (UNC and Duke) are just over an hour farther, not to mention a whopping fourth medical school for North Carolina, ECU, which serves the eastern third of the state. Since other Western North Carolina population centers like Hickory, Asheville, and Waynesville are barely closer to Boone than to Winston-Salem, a medical school in Boone would not add any notable convenience outside of the High Country. At best, this hypothetical medical school would need to be in Charlotte or Asheville in order for students to have a large enough hospital to do what they need to do. Realistically, though, four medical schools for a state our size is more than sufficient. If ASU added professional schools, it should capitalize on its existing strengths. The MBA program could grow, offering more courses not just in Boone but also in Hickory and in Asheville. From the the College of Health Sciences, I could see ASU building on its reputable chemistry and nutrition to create a pharmacy school. Lastly, ASU seems as good a place as any in the country to add a professional school that researches renewable energy.
Why not a medical school?
With the projected shortage in primary care doctors in the next 20 years, why not add a medical school that focuses on primary care? Or capitalize on our aging programs in sociology/ social work and have a program with a focus on providing primary care for older adults? At the least, the nursing program needs to expand quickly. Perhaps if a medical school is unrealistic, then ASU could add a master's program in nursing to begin training FNPs. I do like the idea of a pharmacy school, thought.
Med School
NC may need more seats per capita in med schools (there are only two publics -- the two private do not factor into this calculus as these grads are mostly not from NC and do not stay to train or serve), but Boone is not an appropriate location. The region does not have the population base required for the size tertiary medical care center needed for an undergraduate and graduate (medical student and resident) training facility that could earn accreditation. The best western choice is Asheville; indeed, some med students already do 3rd and 4th year rotations there.
university towns
most university towns are forced to work with campus here the town seems reluctant to work with campus the town should work with ASU to continue to allow it to expand and make that expansion look seamless it is to Boone's advantage to have campus stretch toward and into downtown, it will only strengthen business there and improve the look Both ASU and Boone will grow, the downtown are should not be threated by ASU building more buildings toward it's center, it should embrace and welcome that move because it means good business, clean and good looking buildings and an overall more prosperous area
university towns
I understand that ASU will always need to expand as the town and roads will need to accommodate. However, I don't understand the integrity of the mountains being compromised as we do so. Instead of bulldozing flat areas to place tall buildings, why don't we go underground or on stilts? Why can't we have more nature and less concrete? We could have beautiful structures made out of logs like the furniture store in Blowing Rock that just look more "Appalachian" than most of the buildings we have. I like the swimming hole with its rope to jump from on the Warren Wilson campus better than I like the duck pond with a fountain in the middle. We should utilize local rock, incorporate fireplaces, utilize quilting patterns in floor or wall design, and landscape around Kraut Creek more naturally . The campus itself should be Appalachian and reflect this area's culture and tradition. Part of that culture is using what is available so we should use natural resources from this area, including the wind and the sun.
more solar panels
design more building on campus with solar roofing, the array in front of the business building is just a start, every new construction project should have green energy in mind in the form of solar or wind
take a look at UNC-Charlotte
cars on campus at ASU do not respect bikes nor pedestrians, take a look at the roads around UNC-Charlotte, there the cars know that pedestrians have the right of way, - signs, speed humps, the design of the roads, all help contribute to the walk-ability of the outer edges of campus...at ASU the outer edges are dangerous places to walk
A Closer Look at UNC Charlotte
I don't know if you have ever tried to actually walk or ride a back to UNC Charlotte. The campus itself may have the infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians, but the driving behavior of the students here often overshadows the safety features of these facilities. We may have a good master plan for campus, but UNC Charlotte is still very much a car-campus. And there is very little bike/ped connectivity with the surrounding communities. The campus is essentially circumscribed by 4 to 6 lane arterial roads with high-volume, fast-moving traffic. The key is coordinating the university's master plan with the city's master plan for the area surrounding the campus if you really want to make biking and walking more feasible.
105 crossing
the Wendy's intersection at blowing rock road and hwy 105 needs an over the street pedestrian and bike crossing, perhaps two, one on each side of the road, it is virtually impossible to cross all those lanes now
Hwy. 321 Access to Campus
Hwy 321 between Wendy's and ASU is dangerous when opposing-direction traffic both use the middle lane. Ask the NC State Highway Commission to engineer a way to make Blowing Rock Road from Wendy's intersection 1-way IN to ASU, Hardin, and River Streets and make Faculty Street behind the Convocation from River Street 1-way OUT.
This is an excellent idea--I
This is an excellent idea--I second it wholeheartedly.
Facilitating AppalCART use
I live about six miles from Boone and gladly would use the AppalCART system to commute to campus if a) there were routes extending throughout the county and b) there were parking lots available at the shuttle stops, which are not within walking distance for me.
Encouraging AppalCART use
Another suggestion: build covered stops wherever possible. The weather in Boone is severe enough that having to wait in the rain, snow or wind, even if it's only once in a while, is a big disincentive to using the AppalCART.
AppalCart
How about making all of the Appalcart stops totally enclosed i.e. with a door. The (plexy?)glass would provide passive solar heat in the winter and people could wait outside of the cart in the summer if it's too hot.
meetings today
I wish more people would attend. I think a lot of campus approached these meetings thinking it was just for the higher ups. I would like to see the group take the meetings to the staff and students without the admin, dept heads being there. I think that had a lot to do with low turnout. That and the days after Fall Break or any break are a very busy time for staff.
I got the feeling that almost everybody thought growing up instead of out was a much better solution. I Didn't see a lot of staff and students in favor of the proposed new halls that the town voted down. I found that interesting.
If a building could be designated temp, so that maybe old belk, IG Greer, family and consumer science, military science, and maybe even the PO building could be built up and out to 4 or 5 floors it could solve a lot of space needs. I think the town would appreciate that as well. It would also address the age of these buildings. I heard one idea of putting campus housing on top of facilities which was interesting.
I would also like ASU to consider building with modular walls. Open floor plans that would allow space to be changed as needs or growth dictate.
Please take these groups to the staff, students, and the town of Boone before reaching a final plan. Maybe the ASU master plan should be held at the town of boone and the town of boone master plan held at ASU.
Protect and encourage adjacent single family neighborhoods
The university as a cultural and educational institution adds so much to the community. However, how the administration positions itself regarding university growth is often threatening to adjacent single family neighborhoods. Property acquisitions, traffic planning, and building construction occur in a haphazard manner so that local residents are always uncertain regarding the future of their own homes and neighborhoods.
If the university created a master plan and adhered to it, this would be immensely helpful, and would start ASU down the road toward becoming a good neighbor.
Parking: Encourage Bikes with covered stands
As a transportation alternative, we need to physically encourage our bike riders and enthusiasts with public bike lanes to ASU and covered bike stands with a light and video camera to protect from rain and vandalism. A lot of bikes could fit into 4 parking spaces! Several locations with green tin roofs would make the campus greener and more accessible. Good bike locations might be behind Cannon by Plemmons, above or by Legends, at Raley, by Trivette Hall & green, by the Stadium dorms, and at the rec centers.
Better bike and pedestrian accessibility
I agree that one of the easiest and best things that both ASU and the town of Boone could do to improve traffic and also the atmosphere on campus and in town would be to make this a more bike and pedestrian-friendly place. Right now, biking to campus can be very tough, as there are no bike lanes and cars are still not used to sharing the road. Covered bikes stands on campus should be a priority. And while the campus itself is fairly pedestrian friendly, access to it is not. More sidewalks and more crosswalks are needed. Once commuters see that there are numerous pedestrians and bike riders around campus and around town, I believe they will drive more carefully around them - and perhaps try walking/biking themselves!
Pedestrian accessibility
Boone is the most pedestrian UNfriendly town I have lived in. When I moved here 4 years ago, I thought I would be able to walk almost anywhere. Instead I find no sidewalks, sidewalks that suddenly end and almost no pedestrian crossings. I work on State Farm Road and should be able to walk to businesses on that road. There are no sidewalks on State Farm!!! By walking on the shoulder of the road and cutting through parking lots, I can reach Lowes Hardware, Walmart, Harris-Teeter, etc. in minutes but it's an unsafe walk and you can bet not many people are doing it. It's inconceivable that for me to reach the greenway, I have to walk in the road. Even the greenway has been butchered up in the last year. One section has been moved three times. Talk about poor planning.
Pedestrian/Bike Safety
I would appreciate so much the town of Boone making a safe pedestrian and bicycle path over, or across, or under Hwy 105. Crossing 105 now is extremely dangerous. If the town is serious about conservation and offering alternatives to carbon producing auto engines, it should provide some means for pedestrians and bike riders to cross this busy highway. Please consider this!
The problem with bikes....
It would be great if ASU's campus were more bike-friendly, but the problem is that Boone is not bike-friendly and you have to GET to campus from where ever you live. With the narrowness of the road corridors in Boone, it just seems impossible to me that bike lanes and sidewalks could be added town-wide. Without them, it might be a waste of money to add them on campus.... It's a shame, but it may be reality.
Safety
This is a common theme amongst many persons who would like to walk or bike in town but do not due to safety concerns. Safe crossing with marked pedestrian walks also is needed on Hwy 421 through to 194. This will become increasingly important when the new High School is completed.
Bike lanes on 421 west of campus
There are numerous apartment and condominium complexes as well as private residences on 421 west of campus. As I drive that route,I see students (often clad in dark clothing at night....what are they thinking???) walking on the nearly-non-existant shoulders and bikers risking their lives to get to campus. Yes, the corridor is narrow and creating a bike/walking lane would be an expensive challenge, but will it take a tragic accident for us to do something? Besides alleviating the parking issues and saving gas, there is another compelling reason to develop a safe and convenient bike/walking system in Boone. Healthy people live where there are opportunities for safe outdoor activities not only for students, but for families as well. We need to change our mindsets and our town and make it the norm for us to walk or bike as they do in other parts of the world.