THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.116 ISSUE 22
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16,2005
Under cover
Sara Garlick/KANSAN
Joe Glowacki, Overland Park senior and president of the KUMC Motorcycle Club, takes a break from a long day standing in the rain promoting the 11th Annual Bikers For Babies race. The proceeds from the race were donated to the March of Dimes.
SAFETY
Cyclists do not always obey laws
Regulations for bikes on campus same as cars in most cases
BY TRAVIS ROBINETT
trobinett@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
When Ed Mangimelli rides his bicycle to and from class, he occasionally runs a stop sign or takes his bicycle on campus sidewalks, even though he knows he is breaking the law.
Mangimelli, Atchison freshman, said he did it because certain buildings were situated in such a way that the places bikes were locked were on the sidewalks, forcing him to leave the road.
"And laziness," he said. "Traffic laws aren't enforced anyway. I don't wear a helmet and have never been caught."
According to the city of Lawrence's standard traffic ordinance, every bicycle rider shall be granted the rights and be subject to the duties that apply to a
Captain Schuyler Bailey of the KU Public Safety Office said the same traffic ordinances that applied throughout the city applied on University property as well.
"Cyclists must stop at stop signs the same as cars do," Bailey said. "If they don't and they are caught, the fine is the same for bikes as it is a car. $102.00 to Municipal court."
Bo Donora, Portland, Ore., senior, said riding bicycles on sidewalks wasn't a problem when there was not a crowd, but there was the potential for someone to get hurt when the sidewalks were busy, such as between classes.
Chris Ornce, Leawood senior, said the street was for all vehicles, including bicycles, unless they were trying to park.
"I think it's dangerous when
SEE BIKES ON PAGE 5A
Sara Garlick/KANSAN
Bikes parked outside Budig Hall sit in the rain. Student bikers said they didn't always follow traffic rules.
TRANSPORTATION
Gas prices pose further problems for KU on Wheels
Bus pass costs could soon rise if fueling problems remain
BY ALY BARLAND
abarland@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Students who purchase bas passes may soon have to shoulder the burden of a KU on Wheels budget that is shrinking because of gas prices.
KU on Wheels is contracted with the Lawrence Bus Company to provide busing and fuel, and if gas prices rise above the amount agreed upon in the contract, KU on Wheels is required to pay the difference, said Jessica Mortinger, transportation coordinator for KU on Wheels.
This includes the diesel fuel for buses as well as unleaded fuel for SafeRide vehicles.
Current average Lawrence prices are $2.75 for diesel and $2.66 for unleaded.
The contract price for diesel is $2, and the price for unleaded is $1.65.
If gas prices remain high, KU on Wheels will have to rely more on student bus pass sales, but the amount of students purchasing passes is on the decline. Mortinger said.
She said KU on Wheels sold 4.856 annual and fall-only passes in the first week of the 2004 school year but had sold only 4.179 this year.
"We're going to have to find the money somewhere. Inevitably, since students pay for it, there is nowhere else to put the burden of the cost," Mortinger said.
An annual bus pass costs $130,
and the cheapest parking permit costs
$140.
Mortinger said students opted for parking permits without factoring in the added price of gas.
"People are deciding to walk or they are driving or riding their bikes. I think people are too attached to their cars," Mortinger said.
Blake Huff, Larned graduate student and chairman of the transportation board, said he was not concerned with the drop in sales.
He said he expected more students to buy bus passes after the first snow.
If gas prices remain high, KU on Wheels will have to rely more on student bus pass sales, but the amount of students purching passes is on the decline, Jessica Mortinger, transportation coordinator for KU on Wheels, said.
Huff said in the long term KU on Wheels may have to re-budget in order to prevent students from shouldering the extra costs of gas prices.
Erin Koontz, Dodge City junior, said she had a bus pass last year but always had to wait in the rain or snow and often ended up walking to her car.
"It's kind of a pain in the ass," Koontz said.
Elizabeth Herrman, Garden City senior, said she had a bus pass because she lived too far to walk or bike and with a parking permit she would still have to walk from her car to class.
"It drops you off right in front of class. It's really convenient," Herrman said.
KU on Wheels is student-run and student-funded by an $18 transportation fee charged to all students as well as money generated by bus pass sales. KU on Wheels uses these funds to cover the extra gas charges.
KU on Wheels is currently in its second year of a three-year contract with the Lawrence Bus Company, and Mortinger said that it would be difficult to project any renegotiation in the contracted gas price because gas prices are unstable and could change substantially within the next year.
The Lawrence Bus Company is required to contract with a fuel provider that submits the lowest bid to KU on Wheels.
Mortinger said the gas price agreement was intended to protect the Lawrence Bus Company from fluctuating prices.
— Edited by Patrick Ross
ADMINISTRATION
Association aims to keep parents in the loop
BY GABY SOUZA
gsouza@kansan.com
KANHS STAFF WRITER
University of Kansas officials are scheduled to announce a group today that would improve communication between parents of KU students and the University.
Frank DeSalvo, interim dean of students, said the KU Parent Association was formed to reach out to parents and answer frequently asked questions. He said the University continually received calls from parents regarding everything from scheduling to tuition.
"We thought this was the tip of the iceberg," DeSalvo said. "We figured there were more people out there who wanted answers to the same questions."
The University is hoping to facilitate a response this weekend, which is Family Weekend. A booth will be stationed in the Kansas Union where parents can sign up to be members. Students and KU officials will also serve on the 16-member advisory board.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Advisory board meetings will start next semester. Marlesa Roney, vice provost of Student Success, said. The location of
the meetings was being negotiated, but she said "nine times out of 10 they will probably be in Lawrence." Roney said she hoped there could be a gathering of the entire association during Family Weekend every year.
Jennifer Honeycutt, Topeka freshman, said she was opposed to a parent association being formed because parents try to take too big a role in their college student's lives.
She said her parents were too pushy for her to handle. She refused to let them help her move in this year because she didn't want them interfering with her
Visiting parents can become members of the new KU Parent Association.
◆ E-mail: parents@ku.edu or call 785-864-5872
♦ Visit KU Parent Association booth in the Union this weekend.
Parents can also sign up for a free e-mail newsletter by visiting http://www.parentassociation.ku.edu/. It also contains information, such as the University's calendar and student enrollment information.
life.
"College is a way for people to age themselves," Honeycutt said. "Parents are way over in-
Diana Robertson, associate director of student housing, said the association would help
parents understand how their children were living in college.
volved."
The Department of Student Housing receives regular calls from parents who are curious about housing contracts and roommates, Robertson said. But the department cannot share any of this information with parents who have students older than 18. The parent association would help parents play a bigger role in students' lives.
"Parents want to help their students navigate campus," Robertson said.
- Edited by Anne Burgard
U. S. Constitution's preamble to be read aloud The University will observe Constitution Day as part of a new federal mandate that public universities observe the document's signing. PAGE 3A
Fine Arts concert to highlight works The sixth-annual School of Fine Arts Collage Concert will feature video presentations, dance and vocal performances and band and orchestral arrangements. PAGE 2A
Kansas will take on Louisiana Tech in its third game tomorrow evening. Kansas faces a tough game and Louisiana Tech has more on its mind than football after the team was affected by Hurricane Katrina. PAGE 8B
Tough game ahead
Index
1
Opinion...7A
Sports...1B
Crossword...6B
Horoscopes...6B
Comics...6B
Classifieds...7B
4
All contents, unless stated otherwise,
© 2005 The University Daily Kansan