Students rush to school by various modes of transportation, including driving, cycling, walking and, of course, busing. Those new to UVic may notice the frequent holdups due to congestion consisting of both cars and people—a daily event on campus. While there’s no preventing thousands of students walking across campus, or other traffic, the Martlet staff have a few pointers for navigating the UVic grounds, inside and out.
When walking across Ring Road between classes, help ease vehicle congestion by yielding to traffic once in a while. Yes, pedestrians do have the right of way, but even drivers, and especially buses, need to get where they’re going. In lieu of timed pedestrian crossings (which would be very helpful, by the way), an unspoken rule has emerged. During peak pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which coincides with the ends of classes, students cross the Ring in large packs. Once the biggest wave of students has passed, in about ten seconds, one student waves a handful of cars across.
Do not be the person who ignores the vehicle about to pass by casually crossing the road alone and ignoring the enormous line of cars. This induces other students to follow you, since the cars are stopped anyway, and the whole unspoken system collapses. It’s also an environmental issue: engines will spend more time idling.
Speaking of sustainability, many students may opt to walk or bike. It can be a delightful choice for many reasons, until you get to campus. When biking around campus, be aware of the pedestrians around you, particularly those who have their heads bowed to their phones. Pro tip: bicycle parking near the Petch and ECS buildings (and any covered area, on a rainy day) fills up fast; it may be worth showing up early or parking elsewhere and walking, rather than having to back track.
Driving a car to school can also be a battle, due to the recently revised bus routes and construction. If you must drive, be aware that while there are many parking lots, there are many cars that need a place to rest, and spillover onto Oak Bay or Saanich streets is frowned upon.
There’s congestion inside buildings too. If you are a frequent patron of the Centre Caf or other UVic food facilities, use a dining card. This is not only faster for you, it keeps the massive line moving, as it eliminates need to wait for the glacial pace of the debit machine.
The UVSS supplies wall calendars and agendas to help you plan for a year-long organized lifestyle. Be sure to check the free table by the UVSS office from time to time. You may score yourself an enormous binder to archive your schoolwork (that is, if you don’t immediately burn it at the end of the semester).
These are merely a few humble suggestions for maintaining your cool at school, from the time you arrive on campus to the time you leave.
