SGA tackles transportation issues

September 17, 2008
By Pete Nickeas
Public Affairs Reporter

A deal is in the process of being brokered with the Springfield Mass Transit District that would increase bus service to and from UIS.

Student Government Association members Steven Black and Bret Tate met with SMTD Managing Director Linda Tisdale to discuss the university’s options.

There are numerous possibilities for the funding of the program, according to Tate and Black. Options include a student fee, similar to the parking fee
students currently pay, or a single transportation fee that would include
parking on campus and bus transportation.

“We do not have a ballpark figure set on how much this fee will be and what it will include,” Black said. “However, I can say that it will likely be quite nominal for the service that will be provided.”

According to Black, the route 11 bus that services the university is among SMTD’s more traveled routes. He also said that, in theory, students would be able to use their Icard to board buses.

“We are looking at possibly supplementing that with night service as well as a route that goes from here to possibly the west side locations to make west side service more direct,” Black said.

Currently, a trip to the mall takes approximately an hour and ten minutes via a trip downtown and a transfer to a west side route, according to Black, as opposed to a direct route between the west side and the UIS/LLCC
campuses.

Availability of transportation is also an issue, with the last bus leaving the UIS campus for downtown at 5:50 p.m. during the week.

A survey will be conducted by the SGA to better measure interest ahead of any further discussions.

“We’re not making any prejudgments about where the route should go until we get survey results. And if they all say they need to go to the south side,” Tate said, “then that’s where the route would focus on.”

Part of the plan could discontinue the student life shuttle, which currently operates to transport students to the nearest SMTD bus stop. The money would be freed up for other SGA priorities.

But with volatile gas prices and increasing awareness around energy efficiency, the SGA hopes to make the UIS campus more accessible from downtown, via public transportation. “For me, if it helps students get to campus who may not otherwise be able to attend UIS, even if it’s only five people, it’s still a success,” Tate said. “Hopefuly we’d hope that more students would utilize the service, but even if it’s just one it would still be a success.”

 

Also of note from Sept. 14 meeting: • The University of Illinois System created a prioritized list of projects they would like funded, should the state legislature pass a capital plan. UIS has two projects on the list: a public safety building, ranked at fourth and renovations to the library, ranked at 12th. The list was created primarily by the provost, chancellor and other administrators, according to Board of Trustees representative Craig McFarland. • Students without access to computers will be able to vote by visiting the Student Life Center. The elections will be held completely online Wednesday, Sept. 17 and Thursday, Sept. 18. • Vice President Brandon Guiliano was not present at the SGA’s second meeting of the year. It was not immediately clear why.