THE UNIVERSITY BAILY KANSAN FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008 FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008 NEWS TRANSPORTATION 5A Programs benefit students, environment Parking and Transit opens free spots for students at recreation center BY BRENNA HAWLEY bhawley@kansan.com A new parking program for students without yellow parking passes began Thursday at the Student Recreation Fitness Center. Previously, the recreation center's parking lot only had spaces for yellow parking passes and spaces with parking meters. The new program will allot the row of spaces closest to the recreation center to students with a valid residence hall or Park & Ride pass. Students who park there have to go inside the recreation center to get a special pass to hang from their rearview mirror. Yellow parking passes are not available to incoming freshmen, and off-campus freshmen must use Park & Ride lots when parking to go to class. For some students, like Elise Langtry, Prairie Village freshman, the program will help with a workout schedule. Langtry has a residence hall pass that previously was not valid during the day. "I'm always afraid of parking." Langtry said. "It would be so much more convenient than having to walk in the snow." Kevin Weingarten, St. Louis freshman and Hashinger Hall resident, goes to the recreation center often. Last semester, his schedule allowed him to work out at night. This semester, he wants to go during the day. He thinks the passes will be helpful and easy to use. "If the parking is that close to the recreation center, it wouldn't be that much a hassle to get the pass," Weingarten said. Other students think the new parking spots aren't going to change anything. Kevin Neslage, Wichita freshman, said he never goes to the recreation center during the day. "If I go during the day, I'm probably going to walk anyway," Neslage said. Donna Hultine, director of the Parking Department, said the program was geared toward students who otherwise would not be able to park at the recreation center during the day. She said the program began as an experiment. "My fear is that there won't be that many students who use it from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m." Hultine said. Improving parking was a platform for United Students, and student body vice president Ray Wittlinger, Olaite senior, spoke to many students who thought parking at the recreation center was an issue. "The recreation center is one of the places where all students congregate," Wittinger said. "The more students who are there, the better." The closest row to the recreation center has more than 40 spots that will be marked by signs for the program. A student with a valid residence hall or Park & Ride pass can park in the spots. Students must go inside to the entrance desk to get a tag that hangs over their rearview mirror and acts as a pass. The student can have the tag valid for up to three hours, and their desired time frame is written on the tag. Recreation center employees track the passes, and Parking Department employees will check for both a residence hall or Park & Ride pass and a valid tag within its time limit from the recreation center. Checks are in place to prevent students abusing the system and going to class instead of to the recreation center. Mary Chappell, director of the recreation services, said parking has been an ongoing problem. Students with yellow passes who park in the spots will get warning tickets at the beginning of the semester, as students get used to the new system. Eventually, students without the correct passes will get a $20 parking ticket. "Any time we can assist students in opportunities and working out at the recreation center, we want to take a look," Chappell said. Photo illustration by Mindy Ricketts The Student Recreation and Fitness Center started offering free short-term parking passes Thursday for students with resident's hall passes or Park & Ride passes. They are valid for the row nearest the building, when previously those students only had the option of parking in a meterred spot during the day. SafeRide hybrid 'green'vehicles support campus nighttime travel BY BRENNA HAWLEY bhawley@kansan.com SafeRide is moving toward a greener campus with new hybrid cars and a new contract with environmentally-friendly goals. SafeRide obtained six Prius hybrid cars in November 2007. SafeRide is under contract with MV Transportation, a national company which also handles KU on Wheels and SafeBus. The company bought the cars to replace the vehicles SafeRide previously used, leased Taurus cars. Mike Sweeten, general manager of MV Transportation, said the company used environmentally-friendly vehicles in other contracts across the country. "We wanted to reduce the amount of fuel consumption we have," Sweeton said. MV Transportation's contract with the University began at the beginning of the Spring 2007 semester and expires at the end of this year. The new transportation contract, written by the University, will require any transportation company that bids for a contract must provide hybrid vehicles that get a minimum of 33 miles per gallon. May Davis, Clay Center sophomore and coordinator for KU on Wheels Transportation, said the cars follow a trend toward environmental awareness on campus. by the numbers The buses run on biodiesel fuel and recycle bins are placed all over campus. "It would be against the theme of campus to keep the old buses and cars" Davis said. SafeRide obtained Toyota Prius Hybrids in November 2007. Before November, SafeRide used Ford Tauruses. Here is a comparison of the latest models of both vehicles, according to www.fueleconomy.gov. SafeRide pays the company an hourly rate of $37.76 for each running vehicle. Students pay a $6 fee each semester for SafeRide, which the Parking Department uses to pay MV Transportation. This year, SafeRide generated $291,417 in student fees.
2008 Toyota Prius2008 Ford Taurus
EPA City MPG4817
EPA Highway MPG4524
Miles driven on a tank493342
Gallons of fuel to drive 25 miles541.32
Annual petroleum consumption(gallons)310.8756
Annual tons of CO2 emitted4.09.6
Source: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/ Davis said that in addition to being better for the environment, the cars improve the overall look of SafeRide. The new cars are cleaner, the logo is on the side of the car instead of in the window, and the front dash shows whether the battery or fuel is running the car. She said she had requests from people who wanted SafeRide to get newer, cleaner cars. Davis said she has heard positive feedback from students riding in the cars. "People ride in the new cars and like them," Davis said. "The more people like them, the less drunk drivers there are." THE PLACE to Hook Up with FriEnds not Utilities! Welcome Back Students! Come check us out and see why we were voted Top of the Hill 2007-Best Apartment Complex by KU Students! Our LuxURY Amenities! - All inclusive rent and utilities · Resort style pool · Private shuttle bus to campus private bedrooms and bathrooms every 40 minutes Free continental breakfast daily Legends Place APARTMENTS 4101 W. 24th Place - Lawrence, Kansas 66047 785-856-5848 Directions: Just west of HyVee (on Clinton Pkwy), just west of Kasold. SINCE 1983 www.legendsplace.info