6A • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2002
32nd Street favored for trafficway
By Lindsey Hodel
Kansan staff writer
In its newest transportation plan, the Lawrence/Douglas County Planning Commission wants to adopt the 32nd Street alignment for the completion of the South Lawrence Trafficway.
Bill Ahrens, transportation planner, presented the Transportation 2025 plan to members of the Lawrence community Monday night at the East Lawrence Recreation Center, 1245 E. 15th St.
About 20 Lawrence residents commented on the plan, which will replace Horizon 2020 as the guide to transportation development in Lawrence. The future of the South Lawrence Trafficway was one of the main issues discussed.
Ahrens said the commission considered two different courses for the completion of the highway, but the 32nd Street route was more attractive for relieving traffic. The alternative was a 42nd Street route south of Wakarusa
"We looked at many alternatives for alignments of the highway," he said, "and the 32nd Street route would be able to carry more traffic than the 42nd Street route to relieve congestion on 23rd and Sixth streets."
Ahrens presented a simulated future roadway map that adjusted for financial constraints. He said the 32nd Street route was more cost effective with the limited resources available.
River, which avoids the Haskell- Baker Wetlands.
Residents of Lawrence and surrounding areas questioned the decision to include the 32nd Street alignment as part of the Transportation 2025 plan because the final route for the South Lawrence Trafficway is undecided.
Anna Wilson, representative from the Wetlands Preservation Society, said the route for the trafficway was still undecided.
"The city planning commission does have a right to vote, but the plan should not include the 32nd Street alignment until the
"We looked at many alternatives for alignments of the highway and the 32nd Street route would be able to carry more traffic than the 42nd Street route to relieve congestion on 23rd Street and Sixth Street."
Bill Ahrens transportation planner
decision to build there is final.
The decision is still resting on the completion of another environmental impact statement from the Corp of Engineers, so right now they have the final call," she said.
Jason Fizell, director of the Kaw Valley Heritage Alliance, said, "The document comes out in favor of the 32nd Street alignment, but this doesn't seem like the right place to be making such
a large decision. The planning commission brought in consultants from Ft. Collins, Colo., and they don't know what the local issues or impacts of this alignment are." he said.
Fizell said he was surprised that the proposed plan said the impact of the 32nd Street alignment would be "minimal." Controversy surrounds the issue of the unfinished portion of the South Lawrence Trafficway because the proposed highway would go through wetlands.
Members of the planning commission will decide whether to adopt the Transportation 2025 plan at their next meeting Aug. 28.
Ahrens said the city and county commissions will make the final decision because they decide how to pay for and implement projects.
Contact Model at ihodel@kansan.com This story was edited by Erin Ohm.
KU Info
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A
sity-related information the phone number does now.
She could not elaborate on the project's specifics but did say the online incarnation could eliminate the hotline's ability to find personalized answers to almost any question.
the impetus for moving the service online was to better allocate the University's existing resources.
Hummert said because the University already provided
computers throughout campus and e-mail addresses for every student, it was only logical to move the service online.
Marilu Goodyear, vice provost for information services is the official in charge of the student portal project.
Although she isn't responsible for KU Info's possible shift to the Web, the portal project she oversees could provide the framework for KU Info online.
Goodyear said the University had set up a site that explains the portal concept.
The site, www.ku.edu/portal offers examples of other school's
Web portals.
"What's on there is not firm." Goodyear said. "It's just an example of what we're trying to do."
Goodyear said a mock-up of KU's portal should be up early this semester.
Hummert and Goodyear both said the shift was part of a University initiative to provide as much information as it could online and that budget cuts were not a factor in the decision.
KU Info began in 1970 as a rumor-control system. Susan Elkins, director of KU Info, said campus unrest lead the University to establish the hotline to
calm fears of campus riots and crime.
A series of budget cuts, beginning in 1992, lead Elkins to cut the hotline's 24-hour service. KU Info now answers calls from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday and from noon to 11 p.m. on the weekends.
KU Info's purpose grew from rumor control to an information clearinghouse, offering an answer to any question 24 hours a day.
Contact Ramsey at kramsey@kansan.com. This story was edited by Katie Teske.
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