Professor Claire Campbell, history, used to be known as “the lady with the stroller,” struggling as she wheeled her toddler son from their home across Bucknell’s grassy lawns to a childcare center in Lewisburg.
Campbell is just one of many Bucknell constituents for whom foot transportation around campus has long been a concern.
“Whether it’s sports teams running near Route 15 or staff members walking to work from nearby neighborhoods, the walkability of this campus is a high priority for all of us,” she says.
Soon, students, faculty and staff will have a new, safe way to traverse the gorgeous grounds where they live, study and work. This summer, construction began on a 4-mile multiuse path along the perimeter of the University. The pedway will connect the main campus to the athletics fields across Route 15, looping around iconic features such as the Grove, the Bucknell farm and the Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. One-half mile of the trail will be paved for increased accessibility.
Construction is set to be completed in the fall.
The 4-mile path will loop around iconic features such as the Grove, the Bucknell Farm and the Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Illustration by Barbra Wise, Communications
The Long Road
It’s a project that’s been decades in the making, with proposals for an expansive pedway tracing back to the mid-1980s. Those plans progressed when Campbell joined Technology Desk Manager Bud Hiller and Technology Support Specialist Jamie Piperberg on a campus sustainability working group focused on ecological restoration, public health and outdoor immersion. The team used Google Maps to chart a rough course and then walked it themselves to further refine the trail’s loops and turns.
In addition to enhancing transportation and safety, the path will also provide opportunities for environmental repair and connecting with nature.
“Part of this initiative is about raising our awareness of the natural landscape around us and the ways Bucknell is contributing to sustainability,” Hiller says. “So there’s the option to add features like pollinator gardens to enhance the path even further.”
Other possible additions include signage with information about sustainability features on campus — such as the Bucknell Farm or tree restoration along the Miller Run creek — as well as outdoor learning spaces.
“The great thing is that this can be a living project,” Piperberg says. “It can develop and grow far into the future.”
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