A traffic jam occurs as cars pour in to the University of Wollongong on Saturday. Picture: DAVE TEASE
Gwynneville's sleepy summer is over as University of Wollongong students head back to class this week.
The pilgrimage is expected to result in traffic gridlock and the university is urging students to consider leaving their cars at home and instead use alternative forms of transport.
Although this week is likely to be busy, congestion peaks next week when tutorials begin, UOW senior transport manager Tom Hunt said.
He urged all motorists driving near the uni, particularly in the first few weeks of the semester, to take extra care and be patient.
"The roads are very congested with traffic, they don't handle the amount of traffic we get to the uni very well unfortunately," he said.
"We work closely with the RMS (Roads and Maritime Services) and (Wollongong City) Council on the issues we have with traffic, and the RMS has traffic controllers put on the roads close to the uni there to help coordinate where we do get congestion happening.
"Of course we don't want to see traffic built up onto the freeway and the RMS does what they can to avoid that happening because that's quite a dangerous situation."
Half of all students travelling to the university live within 5km of the campus, a distance easily travelled on foot or bike, Mr Hunt said.
The university has been working to encourage students and staff to use other forms of transport and has managed to reduce car traffic from 69 per cent to 61 per cent.
Trains, buses and three shuttle buses service the Gwynneville campus, while the university has also installed cycle lock-ups and showers for cyclists. .
Mr Hunt said car pooling was also encouraged, both as a means of reducing each person's carbon footprint and also to lessen the strain on parking.
"And of course the university offers free parking for people who bring three or more in their car," he said.
The incentive has so far proved a hit with students, with the university providing 500 free parking spaces a day.
Visit uow.edu.au/transport information on parking and transport options.
