Planning and Designing for Sustainable Micromobility Transportation at An-Najah National University New Campus
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Date
2025
Authors
ايه صنوبر
تالا عيد
ريم عنتري
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Abstract
Micromobility Transportation is a sustainable mode of transportation, meaning it is environmentally friendly, as it helps reduce pollution and emissions from vehicles, as well
as decrease traffic congestion. Additionally, it reduces noise and improves both mental and
physical health. However, micromobility users face many challenges, including the lack of
safe paths for them.
The roads in Nablus City, particularly around and within An-Najah National University, are not designed for this mode of transportation. Therefore, there is a need to plan and design a safe network for micromobility users and to provide parking spaces for them.
Based on this, our project aims to design a safe micromobility network within and around the university for micromobility users, in addition to creating parking spaces for the micromobility mode inside the campus. This mode includes bicycles and electric bikes, excluding scooters, which many cities and campuses restrict their use recently, including the city of Nablus.
Our project is considered as an extension of a previous graduation project that proposed the design for a bike link between the two university campuses on one side and the city center of Nablus on the other. The design in this project was carried out using engineering software according to the AASHTO standards, based on field data, available previous data, and maps provided by the Palestinian Geomolg.
Adopting the idea of sustainable transportation to and from the university new campus, and within it, and providing parking spaces, will help reduce traffic congestion and lower costs for both students and employee, in addition to saving their time lost due to traffic jams and the inability of public transportation to meet the demand. It will also help in providing sustainable transportation, and in reducing the environmental pollution and noise. To ensure ease of movement and user safety, a dedicated network for bicycles and electric bikes has been designed, consisting of two adjacent lanes in both directions. Additionally, dedicated and secure parking areas for these bikes have been designed in strategic locations next to the university faculties, close to the entrances of academic buildings, in order to serve the largest possible number of students and employees.
The project revealed a clear need for a safe and efficient micromobility network in and around An-Najah University, due to the weak existing infrastructure and the increasing reliance on private vehicles. A dedicated network for bicycles and electric bikes was designed, including protected and connected lanes, along with parking areas close to university faculties.
One of the key features of the project is the strategic reallocation of street space to create safe bike lanes. The lane design was modified from separated one-way lanes to adjacent two-way lanes after analyzing user movement and identifying the university as the primary destination and activity center, making this adjustment more efficient and suitable. Fixed physical separators were used to enhance safety, and surveys showed strong support from both students and staff.
The project is expected to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution, improve the overall quality of life on campus, and support the shift toward more sustainable transportation.