The College Avenue Greening Project, a partnership between Rutgers and the City of New Brunswick, is part of a long-term initiative to enhance the university’s campuses so they attract top students and faculty, improve the learning environment for students, build alumni loyalty, and strengthen Rutgers’ ties with its host communities. The goal is to implement a landscape design that will make the campus more pedestrian-friendly through open space improvements, the redesign of green space, and the use of compatible plantings and sustainable materials.
Serious budget constraints have necessitated postponing the more ambitious aspects of the greening project. However, with funding provided by the Federal Highway Administration and other sources, the university continues to work with the City of New Brunswick to make improvements along College Avenue.
In summer 2010, a new transit shelter was installed in front of the College Avenue Gym as part of a larger initiative to replace outdated and deteriorating shelters on the New Brunswick campuses. The structure features a scarlet-red polycarbonate roof and integrates NextBus technology.
Other improvements in 2010 and 2011 include new concrete walkways with a "scarlet ribbon" of decorative pavers; new trees and streetlights with Rutgers banners; a concrete paver plaza in front of the Center for Latino Arts and Culture to provide space for programs and events; and enhanced outdoor seating areas at Au Bon Pain and in the terrace connecting the Alexander Library and the School of Communication and Information.
