Optimizing Routes for UVA’s Facilities Management Fleet: Enhancing Sustainability and Pedestrian Safety

To enhance pedestrian safety and sustainability, UVA’s Facilities Management (FM) fleet aims to reduce emissions and limit vehicle presence in high-foot-traffic areas. This supports UVA’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 while creating a safer environment for pedestrians around Grounds. This project identifies optimal routes for FM vehicles traveling to reduce overall fuel consumption and minimize interactions with students in busy areas. Using vehicular telematics data available from the Geotab Platform, current routes were analyzed based on travel time, fuel usage, safety hazards, and proximity to popular student pathways. By looking at the most popular to and from locations of the FM fleet, we identified all reasonable route options and selected the best ones based on the above metrics. Recommended routes enhance efficiency and safety while also avoiding pedestrian-heavy areas like McCormick Road. We analyzed three high-frequency origin-destination pairs and assessed route options at different times of day, focusing on trip duration and peak pedestrian times like class changes. The final recommendations avoid McCormick Road during peak times or altogether while maintaining low trip durations and minimal safety concerns. These findings offer FM practical adjustments to support UVA’s sustainability goals and pedestrian safety across grounds.