Student Government has made some small but important changes since last semester to try to increase productivity and safety for students on campus. One of these changes includes officially allowing students to park in metered parking spots. In past years, these spots were reserved for people without parking tags — namely visitors — but that policy no longer made sense, said Gary Graham, director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation.Graham said students always parked there by simply removing their parking tags and paying the meter, so when SG brought up the issue, everyone felt it was best to give students access to these lots.He said he hopes students will give the meters in front of the Student Union and next to the PMAC more use. The money made from these parking spots will help account for the difference in revenue from previous years caused by construction-related closures.The meters also address safety issues on campus. SG hopes allowing students to use these meters for evening classes will help them park closer and have a shorter walk to their cars after class when it may be dark, said Brandon Boyd, SG director of transportation.”If everything goes as planned, TigerCASH should be accepted at the [meter payment] kiosks … by October,” said Ellen Carmichael, SG press secretary.The parking meters run from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.Other changes include some bus route adjustments.One of the routes not getting much use was the Vet School route, often only having two to three students riding it. Now the route will add the Nicholson Apartments to its stops, according to Graham.”It was one of [SG President] Colorado [Robertson]’s initiatives to make … buses timely and reach as many students as possible,” Carmichael said. She said SG also plans to deliver on the promise of placing bus route maps and timetables at every stop.Also added to the bus system is a text messaging line, which students will be able to contact if they have problems with the drivers or the service. It should be activated within the week, said Graham. The number will be posted on all University buses, at most stops and on the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation’s Web site. The office will be monitoring the line along with SG and the CATS drivers. Another change includes making University Student Recreational Complex the center hub for the campus transit buses running at night.SG is stressing students use of campus transit instead of walking by putting the hub in a well-lit, often-used area. SG is also pushing for later library and dining hours and trying to make campus safer at night, Boyd said.Slight changes were made to the night route to pick up the most students possible and to try to avoid bar traffic in Tigerland. The night bus runs from Monday to Wednesday until midnight and from Thursday to Saturday until 3 a.m.”We are really trying to stress student feedback and find out if things aren’t working,” Boyd said.—-
Contact Ellen Zielinski @ [email protected]