Friday, September 1, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Traffic congests the intersection of 23rd Street and Alabama. In a recent survey, University of Kansas students said that 23rd Street is busy and congested. Photo by Thad Allender/KANSAN
Congestion, delays problems on 23rd Street
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
By Matt Merkel-Hess
Drivers think 23rd Street is unsafe and congested, according to a recent telephone survey of Lawrence residents.
The residents also said that during the last five years, 23rd Street has become more dangerous and that it now takes longer to drive from one side of Lawrence to the other.
The random survey of 400 residents was conducted for the ongoing 23rd Street and Kansas Highway 10 Major Corridor and Access Management Study.
Access Management Office "Understanding what area residents think of 23rd Street will help us determine how the roadway from Noria Road west to Iowa Street can be improved over time to reduce accidents, relieve traffic congestion and improve the overall visual appeal of the corridor," said Aaron Bartlett, Lawrence transportation planner.
University of Kansas students agreed that 23rd Street is dangerous and busy.
it seems like the lights aren't syncronized," said Danica Fri, Salt Lake City, Utah, freshman. "During rush hour it gets backed up and takes forever."
Phil Gross, Chicago junior, said he avoided 23rd Street whenever possible. He said he had seen four accidents in the past two weeks.
"It's not fun because a lot of good businesses are on 23rd Street," he said. "The problem is K-10 dumping right into Lawrence, and that's a lot of traffic."
Respondents to the survey said their three top concerns were delays at traffic signals, traffic signal coordination and the number of vehicles stopped in line at traffic signals.
Residents also ranked issues of greatest importance for 23rd Street improvements. Driver safety was cited by 71 percent; improved traffic flow, 67 percent; access to business and retail stores, 33 percent; and bicycle and pedestrian mobility, 20 percent.
The complete 23rd Street and K-10 study will not be completed for eight or nine months.
The phone survey was conducted in late June by ETC Institute of Olathe and has a 95 percent level of confidence with a 5 percent margin of error.
Officials seek more funds
Edited by Chris Borniger
By Jason Krall
writer@kansan.com
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
With substantial increases in research funding during the past several years, University officials are turning an eye toward improving The University of Kansas's rank among public research universities
In 1999, KU research funding from outside sources — such as grants and contracts — saw a 19 percent increase, its largest in a decade, according to a report on KU research efforts expected next week. Administrators said they hoped those funds would raise the University's rank on a list of science and engineering research universities and also attract enough attention from federal agencies to bring the University into the top 50 public universities in federal research funding.
While most Kansans support state funding for research, according to a survey released yesterday by Sen. Pat Roberts (R Kan.), most research funding doesn't come from state tax dollars. Funding at the Lawrence campus and the University of Kansas Medical Center totaled $168 million for the fiscal year 1999, with about $45 million coming from state funds and the University budget. Most of the increase came from grants and sponsorships, which totalled $123 million for the year.
Those numbers include a $19 million increase in grants and research contracts from the previous year, the largest increase in at least 10 years, said Jim Roberts, associate vice chancellor for research.
With those numbers, Roberts said he hoped the University would be recognized among 43 public universities that consi-
tently received the bulk of federal research funding for schools.
"Our goals now are really focused on where we want KU to be in terms of rankings," he said. "The reality is that we've got to get to number 43 if we want to get into that club."
Some have criticized the University's increased focus on research efforts, claiming it took emphasis away from education. More than 2,500 research projects are currently underway on campus and at the Med Center, according to the KU Center for Research.
Total funding has nearly doubled since 1995 when it stood at more than $82 million.
Totals for fiscal year 2000, which ended June 30, are expected next spring. Roberts said early budget projections indicated that funding continued to grow last year.
It's unclear where the University stands nationally because no comprehensive survey of research efforts is conducted, said Bob Collins, director of research information for the Center for Research. The National Science Foundation releases rankings annually based on research in science and engineering. The foundation's most recent data, which was for 1998, ranked KU 77th overall in the nation and 54th among public universities.
"That's not a real accurate reflection of what our research volume is," Collins said. The ranking does not take into account other top research areas such as art, history, law and education, he said.
KU reported $132 million in total science and engineering research funds for 1999 exceeding a goal set by the Board of Regents earlier this decade for $120 million by 2000.
— Edited by Warisa Chulindra
Kansans support university research
By Karen Lucas
writer@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
TOPEKA — Is university research crucial to the state's economy? A majority of Kansans think so.
According to a recent telephone survey of 800 residents, 59 percent said it was very important, while 34 percent said it was somewhat important. At the same time, 96 percent said it was important for the state to continue backing science and engineering research at public universities.
Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) presented results of the research survey at a press conference yesterday morning at the Capitol. Chancellor Robert Hemenway; Jon Wefald, president of Kansas State University; and Donald Beggs, president of Wichita State University, also participated in the conference.
Roberts said the survey showed that Kansans agreed on the benefits of university research.
"That's the kind of thing that happens to impact individual lives," Hemenway
Hemenway illustrated those benefits in various ways. In one example, he mentioned how researchers from the Kansas Geological Survey assisted residents on the Kickapoo reservation, about 40 miles north of Topeka, in searching for additional water sources during a recent drought.
said.
He also talked about the influence that university research has had on the state economy, such as creating jobs.
Wefald pointed to the contributions that Kansas State researchers have made in agriculture.
"Kansas State is on the cutting edge, especially when it comes to wheat research," he said.
800 Kansans in 97 counties were surveyed by telephone
Source: Chariton Research Company for Research/America
Although Beggs said Wichita State played a smaller role, he mentioned its work in aviation research.
Melissa Carr/KANSAN
Roberts emphasized the importance of enhancing university research so Kansans would be in a better position to compete in the global marketplace.
Rex Buchanan, associate director for public outreach for the Kansas Geological Survey, also attended the conference. He commented on the influence
"We want to be competitive," he said. "We want to have the infrastructure to allow us to be competitive."
the survey might have on future funding.
"We'd hope that it would get the message, particularly to the state Legislature, of the value that the people in the state have for the value of the kind of research that we do," he said.
Research!America, a non-profit group in Alexandria, Va., commissioned the survey. Chariton Research Company of Walnut Creek, Calif., did the telephone poll for Research!America in 97 counties early in the summer.
Edited by Erin McDaniel
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