Web Application Integrates Transportation, Parking and More, Replacing RoadsterRoutes
Image by Ed Brennen
02/06/2023
By Ed Brennen
Wondering how far the next campus shuttle bus is from University Crossing? Or how many parking spaces are left in the North Campus Parking Garage?
Are your bicycle tires getting low and you need to find the nearest repair stand? Or are you meeting someone at the Nanomanufacturing Center but have no idea where it is?
Students, faculty and staff can now find answers to these questions — and many more — in one convenient location on their iPhone or Android smartphone with Campus Map.
Created by UML Web Services, Campus Map is a web application that looks and functions just like a mobile app. The web application replaces the existing RoadsterRoutes app, which will still function but will no longer be updated.
To add Campus Map to your phone, visit https://www.uml.edu/maps on your phone’s web browser. Users with iPhones should open Safari, click the share icon and then “Add to Home Screen” (the iPhone’s version of Google Chrome does not offer this option). For Android users with Chrome, go to the menu and select “Install App.” The Campus Map icon will then appear with your other apps on your home screen.
Integrating bus route information, parking availability and maps in one web application, rather than in multiple “native” apps (which are designed for a specific platform and must be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play), makes it easier for the university to update information and perform upgrades, according to Gerry Nelson, executive director of web services.
“It makes more sense in terms of university resources,” says Nelson, whose team began working on the project last October. Senior Front End Developer Allen Williamson led the work.
Jon Victorine, executive director of administrative services and integrated security, says the timing of the integrated app is fitting, given that Transportation Services merged with the UCard, Access and Parking Services (UCAPS) office last semester.
“We are very excited about the changes,” Victorine says. “From a technology perspective, the move away from native apps will allow any future changes to be performed more rapidly, since they will no longer have to go through app store approvals.”
On Campus Map’s “Explore” navigation link, there are a dozen tabs for everything from academic departments, residence halls and campus dining facilities to baby-changing stations, gender-inclusive restrooms and lactation rooms.
On the “Transit” link, you can find status updates and real-time locations of buses (identified by their line and number), as well as schedule information.
The “Parking” navigation link features separate tabs for student and faculty/staff parking. For the parking garages on North, East and South campuses, as well as the Riverside A and B lots on North Campus, users can see the current number of available spaces. There are also tabs for accessible parking and sustainable options for electric vehicle drivers in need of a charging station.
Accessibility is also a key component of the main campus map viewing page. By tapping on the map layers icon, you can find accessible paths and entrances across the entire campus.