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Pedestrian Bridge

Project Overview

California State University, Fullerton is seeking funding to build a pedestrian bridge spanning a key campus crossing at Nutwood and Commonwealth avenues in order to:

  • Protect pedestrians — including university students, faculty and staff — and reduce accidents
  • Mitigate neighborhood concerns and improve traffic flow
  • Reduce vehicle trips and encourage walking and biking

Background

Serving over 40,000 students, Cal State Fullerton is the most populous campus in the California State University system. The campus is also a top employer for the city of Fullerton and Orange County, with over 4,000 faculty and staff.

College Park, the workplace and class space for thousands of employees and students, is separated from the main campus across Nutwood Avenue. The vast majority of those employees and students cross Nutwood daily to reach main campus buildings and amenities, crossing back to return to College Park. Many access student apartments or eat at the only off-campus dining options available within walking distance, to the south. The intersection also connects students and faculty from Hope International University, located on the southwest corner, to amenities at Cal State Fullerton.

Impact on the Community

Building a pedestrian bridge spanning this key campus crossing at Nutwood and Commonwealth will benefit both Cal State Fullerton and the city of Fullerton in three key ways:

1. Protecting pedestrians and reducing accidents

  • More than 10,000 students cross Nutwood Avenue each day.

  • Nutwood Avenue, between State College Boulevard and the SR-57 freeway, was the site of 23 injury-related traffic accidents, 43 non-injury accidents and nine arrests for driving under the influence in 2015 and 2016, not to mention countless near-misses that have gone unreported, according to the most recent statistics from the Fullerton Police Department.

  • The crossing is particularly dangerous for the more than 1,700 students with visual, hearing or mobility disabilities served by Disability Support Services at Cal State Fullerton, many of whom need access to College Park for classes or resources.

2. Mitigating neighborhood concerns by reducing vehicle trips and improving traffic flow along one of the city’s busiest routes

  • Approximately 22,000 to 26,000 vehicles travel Nutwood Avenue between the freeway and State College Drive on any given weekday, according to 2015 figures provided by the City of Fullerton to the Orange County Transportation Authority.

3. Encouraging walking and biking as transportation alternatives, supporting the city of Fullerton’s long-standing goal to provide livable streets that cater to pedestrians and bicyclists

Funding Status

Cal State Fullerton secured:

  • $5 million through Congressional Community Projects
  • $1 million through the State
  • $500,000 through the County of Orange

Bridge Concept Art 1

Bridge Concept Art 2