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/ NEWS / WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
CAMPUS
Mopeds equal mo' problems for parking department
BY STEPHEN GRAY sgray@kansan.com
With the start of the fall semester, the Parking and Transit Department began enforcing its new moped policies on campus.
There were several changes made to the University's moped regulations this year. The regulations were all authorized by the Parking Commission, a standing committee of the University Senate. In past years, moped users were able to park at the bike racks and on sidewalks close to buildings. Now mopeds must be parked in designated zones around campus. Additionally, mopeds are no longer allowed on jayhawk Boulevard between the traffic-controlled hours of 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Sachi Sakumura, a senior from Lawrence, said she didn't understand why the changes are necessary.
icy was revised because of pedestrian safety concerns.
"Most of the concern amounted from people who had experienced a moped driving in front of them or cutting them off on a sidewalk," she said. "A lot of moped users simply didn't walk their moped up to the bike racks."
"I understand why they don't let cars drive on campus during class, as it inhibits the bus routes," she said. "But mopeds don't really get in the way of anything. You should be able to park it wherever as long as you have a permit for it."
Several changes have been made to parking regulations this semester. Mopeds are no longer allowed to park in the bike racks on campus.
Donna Hultine, director of Parking and Transit, said the pol-
Although there was already a rule that no moped could operate on sidewalks or lawns on campus, the commission decided to implement the parking changes to prevent the possibility of a pedestrian collision.
To many moped drivers, these new rules take away the primary appeal of mopeds: convenience.
To other drivers, the new rules are creating another issue; more limited car parking.
The commission also aims to further reduce traffic on Jayhawk Boulevard.
prime parking spots have been converted," Hultine said. "It's definitely a candidate for change in the future."
In finding space for the new moped parking areas, the Parking and Transit Department converted 112 car-parking spaces to 262 moped spaces, a decision that has drawn some criticism from car users.
"Many don't think the parking spots are being used the way that they should. In some cases, there have even been complaints that
Howard Ting/KANSAN
Angela Lumpkin, exercise sciences professor and member of the Parking Commission, said there were opportunities for student input before any decisions were made.
"A moped riders group was involved with the identification of parking spaces and for ways to resolve any issues," Lumpkin said. "But, all of the interests of the entire community were considered and weighed to make the best decisions possible."
As more students use mopeds for a cost-effective method of transportation, there is also an increasing amount of student parking violations on campus. Currently, the fines for not having a moped parking permit and for parking in the wrong zone are $20 each. An e-mail has been sent out to moped users about the location of the parking areas and the new rules, but many users are still parking in bike racks without permits.
Steven Heger, a senior from Maize and a moped user, is a critic of the new regulations and said he didn't understand the reasoning behind the commission's decisions.
"I feel that nothing was accomplished by this," Heger said. "I still see people parking at bike racks, and there have been car parking spots lost to this new rule."
A total of 28 locations have been created for moped riders on
campus. However, the zones are not permanent and can easily be converted back to car stalls. Since this is a new approach to moped parking, Parking and Transit is still in the experimental stages of determining best locations.
Hultine said the feedback would only help the Parking and Transit Department reach a better balance.
Although there has been a lot of criticism of the revised policy,
"It certainly a work in progress and it will be tweaked as the year goes on," Hultine said.
Edited by Emily McCoy
CAMPUS
KU remains bedbug free, despite nationwide infestation
BY JONATHAN SHORMAN
ishorman@kansan.com
Despite the nationwide problem, the KU community has so far escaped an infestation.
New York City, Minneapolis. Las Vegas. They've all been bitten by a recent rise in bedbug populations.
That doesn't mean student housing is unprepared, however.
Housing has a multi-step protocol in place for any reported cases of bedbugs, said Jennifer
Wamelin, associate director for residence life.
The protocol, which has been in place for three years, says if a student reports bedbugs, the living area is checked. If a bedbug is found, then the area is inspected by the Douglas County Extension and students and their belongings are relocated in a way that ensures moved materials are bedbug free.
Wamelink said there had been no confirmed cases of bedbugs since the protocol's introduction.
In addition to the protocol, Housing conducts an educational campaign each year before winter break. Wamelink said, to educate students on the danger of bedbugs and to help prevent students from bringing bedbugs back with them when they return to campus.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, bedbugs are difficult to control, in part because they hide easily and are also resistant to many kinds of pesticides. Bites are similar to those of mosquitoes.
or fleas.
Students living in off-campus housing can also take steps to lower the possibility of bedbug infestations, including vacuuming, sealing cracks and crevices and tidying up messy areas where bedbugs could hide. Any used furniture should also be inspected for signs of bedbugs before being brought into a house or apartment, said a press release from the CDC.
Nick Fleer, a junior from Overland Park, lives off campus
and isn't worried about the threat of bedbugs.
"Not at all. Not one little bit," Fleer said.
If students visit hotels or motels in Kansas, their rooms might not have received the same care. A Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) program that inspected lodgings for cleanliness - including bedbugs - was suspended at the end of 2009 because of budget cuts.
Lisa Taylor, public information
officer for KDA, said the agency was working to restore the program. On July 1, a new fund was created where money from lodging license fees will be deposited. The deposited money will be used to fund inspectors, but because fees are not due until the end of the year, there isn't enough money yet to restart the program. The new program will likely launch next year.
— Edited by Dana Meredith