CAMPUS/AREA
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3
Monday, March 8. 1993
Higher costs result as service 'reaches out' to more students
Continued from Page 1.
Hill to the other when they could just walk," Gar linghouse said.
Kaiser agreed that the purpose of the service needed to be clarified.
"It is not to be used as a shuttle between bars or parties," Kaiser said, adding that it was not just a "tipsy taxi."
"It is also for people who don't have safe transportation or don't feel comfortable walking home at night," she said.
Morris expressed doubt about whether students were abusing the service. He said that drivers could not totally prevent abuse but that they did reserve the right to deny rides to suspected drivers.
He recalled a time when three men wanted to be taken from the Yacht Club, 530 Wisconsin St., to a location on Locust Street near Johnny's Tavern, 401 N. Second St. He said he was suspicious and refused them the ride.
"I knew the guys, and I knew they didn't live there," Morris said. "We'll ask them if they have proof of their address."
Morris said that students used the service for dif- different reasons. Some riders simply use it to ride from campus to their home, and others use it as a safe way home from the bars.
"We usually get a rush of calls at about 1:30 a.m. since that is when the bars close." Morris said.
Another problem that contributes to the rising cost is that some cars run past 3 a.m. Senate pays the Lawrence Bus Company $18.50 a car for each hour it operates, and that becomes costly if cars are running late.
"If we get a call at 2:59 a.m., we are expected to pick it up." Kaiser said. "It just backs things up, and we have cars running until 4 a.m."
1990-91, A-1 ran the service at a rate of $a car for each hour it executed. Chris Ogle, president of the Lawrence Bus Company, said he thought that his company's hourly rate for this year was a good deal despite the overall increase in cost.
"If you look at $22 as being a good price two years ago, I think our price is extremely competitive." Ogle said. "If anyone else wants to try to do it for less, then more power to them."
Ogle refused to comment on the specific breakdown of the contract costs, but he did say that capitalization costs for the vehicles, along with maintenance, insurance, drivers' wages and administrative overhead all factor into his rate.
Ogle said he thought that the service had more respectability than in the past because the cars were new, the drivers were students and the service was prompt.
You can either look at it as the cost going up or the service becoming more effective. "On-call"
Angela Dumap, Garden City sophomore, said she could attest to the improved service. She rode in a Saferide car late one night from Marvin Hall to Lewis Hall.
"It was about 12:30 a.m. and my friends and I
didn't want to walk home. "Dunlap said. It only took about five minutes for them to get there."
Sigourney said that when A-1 ran the service, students had to wait longer then 15 minutes for the ride.
Morris said the goal of the service was to pick people up in 15 minutes or less. He also said that he thought having students as drivers helped the
"I talked to a lot of people who said they didn't want to use the service last year because of the cars and the drivers," Morris said. "I think they are less intimidated about calling us."
Sigourney also noted an improvement in the quality of the vehicles under the bus company.
"The cars are cleaner and newer, and people feel more comfortable in them," Sigourney said. "A-1 City Cab was out of touch and never understood our side."
A-1 refused to comment about its operation of the service last year.
KU is the only Big Eight school to offer a service like Saferide.
Even though Senate is satisfied with the service, it is considering alternatives, including a $1 charge for rides, ending the service in April, seeking University assistance and seeking sponsorship from local bars to cut costs.
He said that Saferide was doing a service for bars as well as students, and that Senate might even go as far as to refuse to pick up students from bars that did not contribute.
Garlinghouse said he particularly supported the idea of asking bars to contribute.
Andrew Arnone / KANSAN
John Wooden, owner of The Wheel, 507 W.14th St., said that he thought Saferide was a good service and that he would be very open to talking with Senate about contributing.
Senators do not want to charge students to rue because students already pay for the service indirectly through student activity fees.
"I think charging students to ride would be defeating the purpose of the program," Garlinghouse said.
"As a citizen. I think the service is needed." Ogle said. "We have probably deterred accidents and saved lives."
Garlinghouse considers the service to be one of the best that Senate offers.
"I like Saferide a lot," Garlinghouse said. "It is one of the few things that Senate does that really reaches out and affects students."
It certainly affected VanNamen. As she stepped out of the car, any apprehension seemed to be gone. "Thanks," she said casually and headed for her door.
As he waited for her to make it safely inside, Morris said, "I wouldn't try to walk home from that far at noon, let alone midnight."
Above, Girish Ballalla, Bangalore, India, sophomore, takes Saferide home from a friend's house. Below, Lauren Perona, left, Northfield, ill, freshman, and Anne Payment, Willmette, III., freshman; take Saferide home from Benchwarmers Sports Bar and Grill. At bottom left, Jamie Briscoe, Overland park freshman, and Dionne Newton, Manchester, Mo., freshman, take Saferide home from campus after working late on an architecture project.
Andrew Arnone/KANSAN
Andrew Arnone / KANSAN
The cost of traveling safely
Forum focuses on solutions to drug abuse
By Will Lewis
Kansan staff writer
A two-day forum on drug and alcohol abuse gave University of Kansas representatives an opportunity to come up with a plan to help deal with the problem of abuse on campus and in the community.
"In the two days we had, we got a lot accomplished," said Janine Demo, coordinator of health education at Watkins Memorial Health Center and one of nine KU participants.
KU representatives at the round created recommendations aimed at alleviating drug and alcohol abuse problems on campus, ranging from providing more recreational opportunities to expanding counseling services.
About 25 people from KU, Baker University, Haskell Indian Junior College, the city of Lawrence and the Lawrence and Baldwin City police departments participated in the forum, which was held at the Adams Alumni Center on Thursday and Friday.
"Oftentimes people feel that this is just a university problem," she said. "When we come together on a common ground, I think some great things can happen."
Jeff Weinberg, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and another KU representative, said he also thought the forum was effective.
"The first day it was hard to believe this was possible," Weinberg said. "But it was clear the second day that we had set some short and long-term goals. I think that what we set out to accomplish we certainly did accomplish."
It was a student, Marc Wilson, Hiawata senior, who came up with the idea for the forum. He asked Weinberg to help bring it to KU.
Weinberg said that although much had been achieved at the forum, even more remained to be done.
"This isn't the end, it is really just the beginning." Weinberg said. "There is much we have to do to fulfill the commitments we have made to each other."
Recommendations
KiU's drug and alcohol abuse plan, which was devised Thursday and Friday at a forum on drug and alcohol abuse, includes the following objectives.
- Later closing hours at Robinson Gymnasium in the fall. The gym now is open until midnight Monday through Thursday and 10:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
- Reviewing the possibility of having a drug and alcohol issues. Students want evaluation or treatment currently are referred off campus.
Increasing Lawrence police involvement in campus programming.
military campus programming.
Allowing all Lawrence residents to use a service, which provides free rides home to all students who have been drinking.
- Creating bicycle and pedestrian paths to increase traffic safety.
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