Volume 124 Issue 79
kansan.com
Friday, January 20 2012
LOCAL
City offers parking pass
The City of Lawrence has offered parking passes for lots in the downtown area.
LUKE RANKER
lrunker@kansan.com
According to a city news release, the permits are valid in long-term parking areas, including three levels in the parking garage at 933 New Hampshire Street, the lower level of the Riverfront parking garage at 600 New Hampshire Street and eight long-term parking lots around downtown. Yearly permits cost $192 and quarterly permits cost $50. A value pass valid on the top level of the New Hampshire parking garage, lower level of the
Riverfront parking garage and Lot 10 in the 1000 block of Vermont Street is also available for $162.
"Using a City of Lawrence parking pass can't guarantee you a spot but it opens up more options
"Most employees park on top of the garage," Cole said. Cole doubled more employees would buy passes
"You always want to go the free route," he said.
Matt Cole, an employee at US Bank on Massachusetts Street, estimated that 10 of the 50 bank employees will purchase parking passes.
Jock's Nitch manager, Scott Ozier, said his employees don't buy parking passes.
"Permits can take a big chunk out of their income," Ozier said. He said most of his employees are college or high school students.
Purchasing of parking permits varies from business to business.
for parking in city parking garages and long-term city parking lots in downtown Lawrence," the news release said.
Ozier purchased a pass for himself the first year he worked at Jock's Nitch, but said he hasn't since because he didn't find it useful.
With the construction of an apartment building at 9th and New Hampshire Streets and the proposed construction of a hotel across the street, parking downtown may soon become more limited.
Alexa Ferguson, office manager at Satabinti & Associates Architects Inc., said free parking for tenants of their building on New Hampshire is available.
"I don't know if the need for permits will arise, Ferguson said. Ferguson said she expected her office to be far enough away from planned development on New Hampshire for increased traffic
— Edited by Nadia Imafidon
Anderson said the only time she has trouble parking in the garage is during parades.
ALEXA FERGUSON Sabatini & Associates Architects Inc.
"We've purchased permits since the parking garage was built," Debbie Anderson said. Anderson said that when the business first purchased permits both the roof level and third level of the garage were open to permits. The roof level is now open for free parking.
The office of Curtis Anderson Optometrist purchases parking permits for the three employees that work the most often.
"That made me question whether we were getting our money's worth." she said.
ENGINEERING A NEW BUILDING
to affect her parking.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
The Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center. or M2SEC. is currently being built near Learned Hall. Construction began in May 2009.
LABS ON THE WAY
Construction of engineering facilities approaches May finish
MARSHALL SCHMIDT
mschmidt@kansan.com
In an effort to upgrade its appeal to prospective students and advance the research efforts at the University, construction of additional engineering facilities are set for completion in May. The new building will mostly result in more laboratories for more research facilities for faculty members and their staff.
"KU is building a regional, if not national caliber, testing facility," said Brian Cordill, an electrical engineering PhD student from Olathe. "It's really going to allow us to do research that either can be done or isn't being done in an academic setting."
Cordill is currently working under Professor Sarah Seguin,
also in the electrical engineering department. Their research efforts will be enhanced by the installation of an anechoic chamber, which allows for the study of radio waves in an isolated.
soundproof environment.
"It'll allow us to do some pretty cool testing, and I think we'll be the only academic institute with a chamber of its
May. The chamber is funded by the National Science Foundation, costing $1.34 million alone.
"I think we'll be the only academic institute with a chamber of its size within 800 miles."
The research helps to ensure that all devices (cell phones, radios, iPods, airplane antennas,
size within 800 miles," said Cordill.
BRIAN CORDILL Electrical engineering PhD student
According to Seguin, the actual chamber installation will occur January 30th and the hope is to move in and begin testing by
etc.) emitting some level of radio waves can adequately co-exist, which is no accident. It also works to lighten up the composite materials used to make airplanes
which is a benefit to the aviation industry.
Not only will this facility assist Dr. Seguin's research, it will also provide a valuable tool to show prospective students.
"We'll have a really nice showcase for recruiting new students," Seguin said.
According to School of Engineering dean Stuart Bell, this new facility, only Phase I of construction, will be 43,000 square feet and has a total cost of $24 million. The next facility to be built, Phase II, will total 100,000 square feet and cost $65 million. A third phase is also planned.
As for the opening of the new facilities in a matter of months, both faculty and staff are excited.
"I personally can't wait for the building to be open," said Cordill. "And I like that the University and the state as a whole is focusing on training more engineers."
LAWRENCE
Edited by Amanda Gage
Accidents occur despite warm winter
RACHEL SALYER
rsalyer@kansan.com
There's no denying that winter weather and accidents go hand in hand. Luckily, this year's warmer winter weather has kept most of the snow and ice away, but one thing not absent this winter is traffic accidents.
The average December temperature in 2011 was 35 degrees for Lawrence, five degrees warmer than it was in 2010, when December's average was 30 degrees, according to weatherdatadepot.com.
Records from the Lawrence Police Department show 796 traffic accidents occurring from November 1, 2011 to January 16, 2012. This number is down 36 accidents when compared to last winter which had 832 traffic accidents occurring from November 1, 2010 to January 16, 2011.
Sergeant Michael Monroe,
from the police department's
traffic unit, believes the weather has contributed to the lower number, but said the number is not significant.
"Weather is certainly a contributing factor in the lower number of accidents," Monroe said in an email, "I think during a 'normal'
winter the numbers for the last month's would have been higher, however, I don't think the difference in the numbers is significant."
"If you're going the proper speed, if you keep it in the center of your lane and you don't follow too close, then you always have time and space to react."
Larry Krull
out," Krull said. "There were a lot of cancellations of businesses and schools, so people didn't have to go out."
While the weather has contributed to fewer accidents, Monroe said the ultimate reason the numbers are close is because weather
LARRY KRULL
Owner of the Midwest Driving School
K r u l l ;
owner of the Midwest Driving School, believes one reason the numbers are so close is because of effective planning last winter.
"I would give credit to people
being smart enough not to go
doesn't play the largest role in why accidents occur.
"Iattention is the biggest cause of accidents in Lawrence", Monroe said.
Weather didn't play a role in Kendall Clark's October accident, but lack of attention did.
"We were coming back from Wendy's on 23rd, and I was messing with the radio." Clark said, a sophomore from Augusta.
"My friend yelled, 'We're stopping,' Clark said. "By the time I
looked up, I rear ended the car in front of me, and that car hit someone else."
Rear end collisions are the most common accident in Lawrence, Krull said.
"If you look in your rearview mirror, you always have someone right behind you," Krull said. "I think getting rear ended is the most common in Lawrence because of that."
Regardless of the weather, Krull believes paying attention makes the biggest difference, and most accidents or serious injuries can be avoided by doing a few basic things.
CLASSIFIEDS 73
CROSSWORD 4
"You have to focus on the road," Krull said. "If you're going the proper speed, if you keep it in the center of your lane and you don't follow too close, then you always have time and space to react."
Edited by Amanda Gage
CRYPTOQUIPS 4    SPORTS 8
OPINION 5       SUDGKU 4
Don't forget
All contents, unless stated otherwise, $ \textcircled{2} $ 2011 The University Daily Kansan
Student Union Activities is screening "Paranormal Activity 3" this weekend
Forecasted faces by University students. For a more detailed forecast, see page 24.
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