The University Transit System has made a massive effort to move faculty, staff and students. Since the pandemic began, UTS bus drivers have logged 10,000 driving hours, transported more than 200,000 passengers and driven more than 65,000 miles to take Health System employees to their jobs.
Allison Day, operations manager for University Transit Service, has reorganized the entire bus route system, creating a route structure that prioritizes essential trips for transit-reliant passengers – like those who need to park remotely and bus to their workplaces – while reducing convenience-based travel – like students who catch a ride from their dorms to nearby classroom buildings, just to save a few steps.
Across Grounds, the School of Law is preparing for its students’ return.
“Designing a social-distance seating plan with enough study space for our students has been one of the bigger challenges,” Amy Wharton, director of the Arthur J. Morris Law Library, said. “Most of our study tables normally seat four students, but under the distancing guidelines they can seat only one. By fitting our largest tables with clear plastic, two mask-wearing students can safely sit diagonally from each other and still be 6 feet apart from students at other tables nearby. We had cutouts added to keep the tables’ built-in electrical outlets accessible.”
Wharton said the library scanning system has been reconfigured so most check-outs can be done with the staff never touching the materials. A special book slot will allow books to pass through if necessary.
University Photographer Sanjay Suchak captured preparations across Grounds this summer. Take a look at the University-wide effort below.
