Policy Analysis

The Problems

The current physical access available from the main campus to the arts campus and vice versa is unacceptable. The steps currently in place are old and dilapidated and become dangerous to walk on in inclimate weather, conditions that are frequent in Easton, Pennsylvania during the school year. In addition to being dangerous, the traversing of the steps is an unpleasant experience due to their incorrect rise to tread ratio for outdoor steps and lack of landings. With the development and expansion of the Arts Campus in progress, which in turn will result in an increase in traffic to the area, the way in which students travel back and forth between the campuses is a problem that needs to be addressed.

There are several root causes to this problem. The most obvious is the location of the college. Built on a large hill, there aren’t many other ways to connect the Main campus to the lower elevation Arts campus besides steps. Also because of the steepness of the hill, any steps constructed would present a fairly strenuous challenge to anyone traversing them. Another cause of the problem is the expansion of the arts campus. With the recent completion of two buildings with more currently in construction, more classes and offices are being moved to the Arts Campus, which forces more students to either make the trip down the steps, catch the shuttle or drive (Lafayette College Office of Development, 2014). The age of the school is also an issue. When the steps were initially constructed, the typical rise to tread ratio used today for outdoor steps may not have been established yet.

A survey we conducted shows that 52% of students traveling between the campuses use the steps, which is higher than any other method of travel. Lafayette has put a bus in place that runs a continuous loop from the arts campus to the main campus but only 20% of students use this method. Also because of the emphasis Lafayette has put on being a walking campus and a green campus, utilizing a bus that gets 12 mpg as a solution to this problem contradicts an ideal which has been a driving force behind most of the recent renovation projects on campus. The fact that driving is the second most popular more of transportation at 50% (Students could choose more than one response) is also a contradiction to these ideals the school has abided by the last 5 years.

Though unrelated to the transition between campuses, the school is currently in the midst of a lawsuit because it allegedly failed to provide proper transportation to students traveling to and from the crew team facilities along the Lehigh River across town, resulting in the serious injury of a student. Considering the increasing traffic to the arts campus and the dangerous conditions on the steps, the school is exposing itself to potential similar situations. Being an institution which prides itself on providing top notch facilities and amenities to its students another lawsuit challenging that would not be good for the school’s reputation.

The Alternatives

We have three alternatives to the problem of transportation between the main campus and arts campus. One is renovating the steps. Though the walk would still be somewhat unpleasant, shallower steps, more landings and better railings would help in both the rigor and safety of the trip. Another alternative is one that has already been implemented by Lafayette which is the LCAT shuttle running on a continuous loop. This alternative could be pretty effective, but is not furthering the sustainable agenda the school has otherwise pushed. Also according to the survey only 20% of students use this method, which means there needs to be more promotion done by the school. A final alternative is the installation of an inclined lift at the point of the hill that would be most feasible. This alternative would require a significant investment from the school, but would be popular among students and the picturesque the ride down the hill with the view of Easton could be an experience that becomes a defining characteristic of Lafayette, turning a negative into a positive.

 

The Criteria

We assessed the three alternatives in terms of six evaluative criteria; Feasibility, Economic, Effectiveness, Ethics, Safety and Experience.

The feasibility of an alternative measures how easy it will be to implement. The LCAT alternative has the highest feasibility since it is already in place and only required the expansion of a contract already in place. The step renovation alternative is less feasible and would require more planning and labor than the LCAT option but not as much as the inclined elevator option which would take a great deal of planning and labor to install due to the terrain. Also the feasibility of selling the decision makers at this school on the inclined elevator option is less likely.

The economic aspect of an alternative is how much it will cost, both in the short and long term. The economic criteria rating of the LCAT alternative is middling thanks to the expensive recurring cost associated with it, including paying the driver and the fuel costs of an inefficient vehicle running in a continuous loop throughout the day. The stair renovation alternative scores somewhat higher in this category. Though the initial renovation would be expensive, it needs to happen anyway, and it would cut down on the frequent repairs that are occurring now. The inclined elevator alternative scores the lowest in this category. This alternative would require a significant initial investment from Lafayette and would require routine maintenance which would most likely need to be performed by an outside contractor.

The effectiveness of an alternative is how effectively it addresses the problem of transportation between the two campuses. The LCAT alternative ranks high in this category because if implemented effectively and used by more students it can address all the transportation issues between the campuses. The stair renovation alternative is less effective because though the stairs will be safer and less strenuous, the journey still won’t be a pleasant one and will still result in a significant number of students driving instead. The inclined elevator option is also very effective and would encourage students to forego driving to instead experience the lift. This alternative addresses the problem while also embracing the idea of a walking and sustainable campus.

The ethics criteria assess the alternatives in terms of how they fit the philosophy and morals of Lafayette. The LCAT alternative scores the lowest in this criterion due to its contradictory nature to the sustainable ideals of the school mentioned earlier. The steps score higher in the sense that they fit the walking campus aspirations of the school. The inclined elevator scores the highest in this category because in addition to reinforcing the ideals of a sustainable, walking campus, it also fits the image Lafayette is trying to put forth in regards to providing top notch facilities and amenities for its students.

The safety of an alternative assesses how safe it is for the students, especially in light of the schools current lawsuit. The LCAT alternative ranks high in this category all though it increases the traffic in an area at the bottom of the hill that already can be congested and dangerous. The step renovation alternative ranks lower because in inclimate weather, the renovated steps will still be somewhat dangerous. The inclined elevator option ranks high, because if the lift in constructed with drunk college students in mind the whole system will be designed to be pretty safe.

The experience aspect of an alternative rates the overall experience of traveling between the campuses. This is the first thing people see when they enter the campus and the experience of that transition up the hill is not one that should be overlooked. The LCAT rating for this category is middling. Though students would travel between campuses in a comfortable climate controlled vehicle, the experience is neither noteworthy nor aesthetically pleasing. The renovation of the steps ranks lower in this criteria because though the walk can be aesthetically pleasing, due to the steepness of the hill, even with the renovations it still not an experience students would enjoy. The inclined elevator ranks the highest in this criteria. The experience of riding a lift between campuses would be one of the defining characteristics of the campus and would be both aesthetically pleasing and convenient for students. A lift would also be an impressive first impression for visitors to the campus.

	Feasibility	Economic	Safety	Ethics	Experience	Effectiveness	Total
Step Renovation	2	2	2	1	3	1	11
LCAT Shuttle	1	1	3	3	2	2	12
Inclined Elevator	3	3	1	2	1	3	13

The considerations mentioned previously resulted in the ranking system above, in which the three alternatives are ranked from 1 (the best) to 3 (the worst). With the method, the lowest scoring alternative overall is the best option according to the analysis and in this case it is the step renovation alternative.

One concern for this alternative is the potential for the need for modern ADA requirements to be met. These concerns and their potential economic implications are touched on in the economic analysis.