Currently the traffic problem in the METU Campus is not as severe as the traffic in the city center, especially at the Akay Junction. So taking no action in the campus is a possibility to be taken. Doing this means accepting the current level of accidents and their results; delay due to traffic intensity and jam etc. On the other hand several manipulations can be done those are not radical in character but may improve the system performance slightly. For example the parking spaces available around departments can be increased in number to ease the parking problem, the number of traffic signs and lamps may be increased ands the current ones may be cleared of the plant or rust or fade like vision obstacles. The penalties for traffic rule penetrations may be increased and the common transportation vehicles such as the ring busses and the other all purpose busses may be renewed. However, we propose a third alternative way: to make radical changes to improve the METU Campus traffic system performance. Our proposal is studied under several headings.

Physical Arrangements

• Crossings: The crossings should be painted to make them more visible. For this purpose even reflectors may be stamped on the zebra crossings to make them night visible and to decrease the drivers’ approaching speed. Since the campus is expanding to the Bilkent direction, new crossings should be added to the road which passes by the back of the IE department ( in front of the ME dept. for example.)

• Parking Spaces: new parking spaces should be added. Rather than increasing the specific use parking areas general parking areas that everybody can use should be built.
• Illumination: Better illumination at the departments’ area for the pedestrians should be supplied. It is true that the illumination at the parking lots, entrance to these parking lots and the service ways to-from these parking lots are not well illuminated. Also from the EE to the Kindergarten, the main road is not illuminated during nights which may cause trouble for crossing pedestrians. The lamps should be replaced.
• New signs: Some signs are given in the appendix.
• Landscape: No bus stops should be located at the peaks of landscape because it makes it difficult to see the coming vehicles. Cars and other vehicles should not park even temporarily to roadsides especially the ones at the parking lot area entrance junctions. The bus stop in front of the Enve. Eng. should be moved to an other place because the ring, which stops there, blocks the traffic and lacks vision of coming vehicles. The steep roads make cars difficult to brake so steep roads should be eliminated especially the one that passes by prep building to A7 gate, is too steep. This causes trouble especially in winter.

The number of traffic personnel and the traffic fines should be increased. To prevent repetition of traffic rule violations, a new system which gives penalty points to the vehicles and does not let the vehicles, which exceeds the allocated penalty point limit should be applied. For to keep track of the penalty points of the drivers, a computerized database system should be implemented at the traffic control office. Moreover, the traffic fines should be increased to finance the budget of the traffic office.

Procedural and Rule-Based Arrangements

The traffic rules such as speed limits are sufficient in context but should be well imposed on the users of them. Radar use should be enhanced widespread over campus. Since the campus is too wide the number of the traffic personnel should be increased or their locations should be better planned.

Emergency Arrangements to Access Buildings

In order emergency vehicles to transport quickly the road maps and shortest distances and routes to key points should be kept in advance so that emergency vehicles can be guided. The chassises should be kept at the minimum number possible. For the handicapped there should be built inclined paths beside stairs.

Arrangements for Alternative Modes of Traffic:

Public transportation within the campus: Intra campus light rail system is a too expensive alternative and seems infeasible at the moment, but if the necessary fund is obtained it is a good idea to implement both in terms of aesthetic and ease of use. The ring services scheduled at the 35’s should be scheduled to an earlier time to promote the use of ring services, so that number of pedestrians may be minimized.

Bicycles : Bicycles and their usage should be promoted by building bicycle park lots in front of each department and allocating a bicycle path from dormitories to departments that does not go through the motorway but crosses it at the zebra crossings.

Pedestrians : Arcade proposals are not feasible at the moment. But pedestrian crossings and traffic lights at the crossings as well as illumination at these places should be enhanced.

1. A "Stop" sign at the entrance of the Preparatory Building academic and administrative parking area,
2. A "Stop" sign at the entrance of the IE Building parking area,
3. A "Stop" and a "Give Way"sign at the junction of the new ME building and the main road,
4. A “No Parking” sign at the entrance of Ziraat Bankası,
5. For the whole road in front of the McDonalds Building a "No Parking" sign,
6. A "Give Way" sign to the entrance of the Mathematics Department,
7. A "Bumper" sign for the bumper in front of the Kindergarten,
8. A "No Parking" sign to the pavement at the entrance of the CENG Building,
9. A "Give Way" sign to the Library Parking area entrance,
10. Two "Bumper" signs to the road at the new ME Building,
11. A "Give Way" and a "Stop" sign to the entrance of the new FAS Building,