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The street formerly known as Bailiff Road has been renamed Student Life Way.
The road begins at Wasatch Drive, runs between the Student Life Center and the McCarthey Track and Field Complex, past the HPER Complex and ends near the Carolyn Tanner Irish Humanities Building.
The previous name originated from Bailiff Hall, a residence hall that no longer exists. Lori McDonald, the dean of students in Student Affairs, petitioned for the alteration to reflect the U’s changing campus. Michael Perez, associate vice president for Facilities Management, said the street was renamed to make it relevant to students by relating it to the new Student Life Center.
Perez said the change is important to the student-centered nature of its route. The transformation of the HPER Mall, the Student Life Center and the in-construction Lassonde Studios lead members of the U to “anticipate and fully expect that this will now be a new spine full of student engagement,” Perez said.
“Student Life Way better describes what we really expect to be a really exciting and really engaging student corridor,” Perez said.
Perez clarified the modification was unrelated to the naming of Commonwealth Avenue, the name given to the walkway that runs north across campus, starting at the UMFA. However, Perez said the changes share the same goal to help students and visitors better navigate the U.
This is not the only plan to make the school more navigable. Perez said a shuttle-only street will travel between Milton Bennion Hall and the Sorenson Arts and Education building, go past the Tanner Irish Building, connect to Central Campus Drive and end near the Warnock Engineering Building. This route will be for the U’s electric shuttle. Perez said the route, funded through university and federal funds, will hopefully be completed before Fall 2016.
Shireen Ghorbani, spokesperson for the U’s Facilities Management, said they offer a mapping service with data from new maps and a mobile routing map for on-foot navigation of campus. The map only works when the person using it is on campus, but Ghorbani said Facilities Management is always open to feedback on improving their services.
Ghorbani said changes like the new street sign and the electric shuttle are part of “the institutional responsibility to help people navigate around the space.”
Marina Neofitos, an undeclared freshman, said she wouldn’t notice anything as small as a street sign change. However, Neofitos said she is excited for the electric shuttle’s new route.
“I would use them for winter times when no one wants to be walking on campus,” Neofitos said. “This kind of stuff is way more important than renaming street names.”
Before these larger changes are put into effect, the U is starting to simplify its campus in smaller ways that, Perez said, “didn’t cost us anything other than a new street sign.”
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