RADFORD -- Radford University and city officials discussed the possibility of a bus transit system, ways to solve the university's parking problem, pedestrian safety and campus expansion into the city at a meeting in Radford's Martin Hall on Friday.

Radford President Penelope Kyle began the meeting by giving a detailed presentation of the university's campus master plan to several officials, including members of city council, the mayor, city manager and city engineer.

Details of the plan, created as a tool to direct long-term development of the campus, include the development of a transit or pedestrian mall on Fairfax Street, construction of new residence halls and an athletic and convocation center at the site of the old New River Industries plant on the Christiansburg side of campus.

That site will serve as an anchor for university expansion, which will be directed away from downtown, in the so-called "dark side" of campus. Kyle said plans for development of that site would not likely come to fruition in the next decade, as the university raises money for facilities and hopes to acquire dark-side land in one-block chunks.

Projects planned for construction next year include a fitness center near Jefferson and Fairfax streets and a College of Business and Economics building near Tyler Avenue and Jefferson.

The following year could see construction of a science and technology building near the central part of campus.

But the bulk of the discussion Friday focused on a couple of related issues whose solutions were less certain: parking and transit.

"We have parking issues, and the more we build, the more surface parking we'll lose," Kyle said. "Hanbury Evans told us that we have unacceptable, for today, transit issues."

Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas and Company is the architecture and planning firm hired by the university to work on its master plan.

The city and university have recently been awarded grant funding for the development of a transit service plan through the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. A study, planned for completion by November, will address the needs to both the city and university through joint committees and by public input.

Eventually, the school would like to impose a rule banning freshmen from bringing cars to campus, but it can't until alternative transportation is provided, Kyle said.

Depending on the findings of the transit, a partnership with the Blacksburg Transit, university and city could be a possibility, officials said.

The university has also discussed hiring a parking consultant, Kyle said.

"It was a good discussion to have," said Mayor Tom Starnes. "It's good to know what they have planned."

The mayor and Kyle meet about once a month to discuss issues, and there is a town-gown committee made up of university and city employees, he said, but having everyone in one room to discuss plans is helpful, he said.

"Sometimes, universities and cities don't get together until there's a problem," said city council member Robert Nicholson. "I think it's great we can get together and look at things from a city and university perspective before that."