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Abstract

This research studies the potential of a new sustainable macro transit system to create sustainable/resilient transportation at the Southern Illinois University (SIU) campus and city of Carbondale, Illinois. The paper is applicable to many small rural University-cities where students do not have access to cars and where the growth pattern has created sprawl. This paper documents the existing transportation systems: train, bus, university campus shuttle, local county transit, automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. The graduate assistant research and subsequent thesis project explored how full mobility can be provided by creating a multi-modal transportation hub, parking, and new commercial downtown development linking the existing historic downtown and University campus with emerging transportation technology including an automated transit network (ATN), bicycles pathways and car-shared or bike-shared vehicles; all highly sustainable forms of transportation. The research documents how ATN (modern update of PRT) has the potential to replace several of the existing transportation systems, both public and private, to create better mobility for all with a sustainable/resilient, timely and cost-effective system. This system could provide full access without car ownership to the residents of the campus and local community. Environment impacts and new energy sources as part of the final architectural multi-modal transportation design solution creates a complete transportation model for small university-city place-driven ingenuity and research.

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