Within its long-term sustainable mobility strategy, the University of La Laguna (ULL) plans to adopt measures to mitigate the traffic congestion in Tenerife. Among these measures are the possibility of limiting access to free parking within the campuses and modify schedules entry and exit.
The results of the ULL mobility surveycarried out at the beginning of the year, were presented this Tuesday by Rosa Marina Gonzálezdirector of the CajaCanarias-Universidad de La Laguna Chair of Economy and Mobility.
In it, he highlights that the Four. Five% of the professors, students and administrative and service staff of the academic institution use the individual car as the main means of transportation. When asked about the reasons for this choice, the majority related it to the duration of the trip.
González describes the data as “disheartening,” since 66% of the university community is located in the metropolitan area, where there are “very convenient” public transportation options.
The survey was carried out on all the groups that make up the community of the University of La Laguna, which was made up of approximately 25,414 people at the time of its preparation. Of these, 10.6% responded to the questionnaire.
Arrival and departure times coincide with the highest traffic
The study also revealed that the hours with the greatest number of incoming and outgoing trips coincide with those with the highest traffic.
The greatest number occurs during entry, between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. in the morning shift, and between 3:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the afternoon shift. When it comes to departure time, students usually focus on the interval from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
According to the survey, the main reasons for students to use public transportation are economic issues (52%) and the lack of a driver’s license or own vehicle (41%). This means that there is a high probability that they will switch to private vehicles if their economic situation improves.
Parking rates may depend on the origin and occupancy of the vehicle.
The professor pointed out that the amount of free parking on campus and in nearby areas encourages the use of private vehicles. “Parking must be managed by origin and level of vehicle occupancy: someone coming from Los Realejos, where public transport alternatives are not adequate, is not the same as someone from the metropolitan area,” she explained.
The expert defends that consideration could be given to pricing parking and allocating the income to subsidize more sustainable modes of transport. Additionally, she suggested the possibility of making access hours more flexible, as well as promoting online teaching and tutoring to help alleviate traffic congestion.
He also proposed the installation of more exchange points in strategic areas and parking for bicycles and scooters, with the aim of promoting intermodality in travel. In this way, users will be able to use these means of transport at the beginning or end of their trip.
In addition, he mentioned the expansion of spaces and charging stations for electric and hybrid vehicles.
