Planning for Transportation Solutions
Improving access to and around campus
As part of the master planning process, Georgetown is planning for transportation investments that will improve access to and around campus and make the Main Campus more pedestrian and bicycle friendly. These are key planning principles that guide projects and planning for the future of our campus.
To accomplish this, the university has contracted with Wells and Associates, a leading transportation consultant, to conduct a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) comprehensive survey. Georgetown is also working with local and regional stakeholders to explore alternative transportation options for campus, including an aerial gondola, streetcar, and Metro.
Transportation Demand Management (TDM)
Wells and Associates, the university’s transportation consultant, is developing a TDM comprehensive study for the university and Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. TDM is a tool to reduce traffic congestion, parking demand, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). TDM strategies can also improve air quality, influence more sustainable travel behavior, and improve transportation modes. Wells and Associates, together with Planning and Facilities Management, has identified key stakeholders that represent constituencies across the campus and community to develop this comprehensive plan.
The University continues to partner with Wells and Associates for an annual Campus Transportation Survey each Spring. You can read past reports and explore the data from the 2013 survey and the 2014 survey.
GUTS Buses and the McDonough Bus Turnaround
In Spring 2015, a new fleet of GUTS buses began service. These new buses feature a new graphic design, better route signage, more sustainable fuel sources, bike racks, and rear, front, and side cameras. The university also created a new stop to the Law Center route at the House of Representatives to allow easier access to Capitol Hill.
In Fall 2013 the university explored several options for a campus bus loop for GUTS buses and shared those ideas at Planning 201. After evaluating each option and working with stakeholders, including Medstar Georgetown University Hospital, the university developed plans for a bus turnaround in the McDonough parking lot.
As of early Spring 2016, the Main Campus Bus Turnaround features new bus shelters for the Rosslyn, Dupont, Law Center, and Arlington GUTS routes via Canal Road. In addition, the project has extended Library Walk, creating a new pedestrian plaza to include a rain garden, new benches and lighting, and a more welcoming entrance to campus at Canal Road. The turnaround still allows for tent space outside McDonough for university events.
Alternative Transportation Solutions
Georgetown University was a stakeholder in the Georgetown Business Improvement District’s (BID) 15-year strategic planning process, Georgetown 2028, which focused on the future of transportation, public space, and economic development in Georgetown. The university is exploring three major transportation projects from that process that could have significant benefits: an aerial gondola connecting Georgetown with Rosslyn, extension of the DC streetcar to the university, and a Metro station in Georgetown. While some of these projects are long-term investments, the university will incorporate planning for them in our master plan.
Aerial Gondola
The university continues to work with the BID and other stakeholders to explore the feasibility of an aerial gondola over the Potomac River connecting Georgetown and Rosslyn.
Streetcar
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is currently planning a streetcar line from Union Station to Georgetown, ending at K Street and Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown. The university is participating in the analysis and study of that line and advocating for an extension of the streetcar to the university and dedicated streetcar tracks along the route to ensure fast, reliable service.
Metro
Momentum 2040, WMATA’s plan for the future of the Metro system in 2040, includes a metro station in Georgetown along a new Blue Line, separated from the Orange Line at Rosslyn. Georgetown University supports the Momentum plan and believes a metro station in Georgetown would substantially improve transportation to the university.