new tramcar station is planned for construction at the west gate of the Songjiang campus of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU).

According to the new edition of the “Shanghai Transportation Development White Paper,” Songjiang District will build six tramcar lines, and one will be named T2 Line and stop at “Wenhui Road Station” at the west gate of SISU.

The T-crossing beside the planned gate already is under construction, which has caused a change in the traffic light operation at the intersection.

The green-light duration of the east-west direction pedestrian crosswalk was shortened to 40 seconds from 49 seconds, and the delay in the green lights between pedestrians and vehicles was eliminated.

Previously, when the crosswalk light turned red, the vehicle light would turn green only after a few seconds’ delay to give the pedestrians who were still on the crosswalk more time to cross the street.

Peng Yuanming, deputy director of SISU’s Office of Campus Security, said that the change of the traffic light interval was caused when a circuit was destroyed during the tramcar construction. Police are dealing with the matter now, Peng said.

Previous plans called for the station to be built at the former parterre’s position of North Renmin Road, and an E-shaped pedestrian bridge would stretch across the road. The top and bottom horizontals of the “E” were to be at the east and west sides of the road, and the middle horizontal would connect the station.

But Peng said that if the station were built according these plans, all students of Songjiang University Town would get on and off the tramcar here, which would lead to more frequent jams at the gate.

Peng said that SISU has requested the Songjiang government to move the planned station southward and not to build a pedestrian bridge or underground passage.

“The planning map from Songjiang Rail Transit Operation Co. Ltd. has been adjusted according to SISU’s request,” Peng said. “The station may be moved southward, and the pedestrian bridge may also not be built, but this adjustment must be reported to the University Student Administrative Committee, and get the agreement of other schools in Songjiang University Town.”

Li Rongwei, a worker at the construction site, said that the present construction is to prepare to build the tramways and that it will not be completed until next year.

SISU student Zhang Yueru, an international politics major, said she thinks the buses provide enough transportation options and that tramcars are unnecessary.

“The construction is so annoying,” she said.

SISU student Lu Yuchao said that tramcars would provide convenient transportation but would increase traffic and noise near the campus.