Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / July 20, 1972, edition 1 / Page 1
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f " ' 1 ii Vol. 79, No. 6 University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina July 20. 1972 O ' rams! desigmi ltieru. (See related story, page 3) by Margaret Bobo Staff Writer The design for a public transit system for Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC was presented to the Transportation Commission in its meeting held last Thursday night. Consultants Bob Martin and Ed Vick of Kimley-Horn and Associates presented a coordinated town and campus system utilizing fixed routes and published schedules serving areas similar to those covered by the 1971 trial system. "We have crystallized a basic system which is working and viable but it will not pay for itself," Vick said. "It will require additional revenue above that now available to provide a level of service which will attract a significant number of people into the system." The proposed system calls for town routes as under the 1971 system and for alternating figure-eight loops continuously covering the campus and Franklin Street area. "Complete coordination of the town and campus system will call for combining routes during many hours of the day, with additional campus service," said Martin. Runs to Eastgate and University Mall as well as to fringe parking lots would be emphasized in the plan. "Greatly improved service" would be provided by frequent headways. Town service would have 15 minute headways during peak periods (7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.), 30 minute runs in the daytime ( 9 a.m. till 4 p.m.) and hourly runs from 6 p.m. till 1 a.m. Ten minute headways all day (7 a.m. till 6 p.m.) would provide the University campus with service which Martin described as "perfect for class changes." "Greatly improved service" through attractive new equipment calls for 15 20-30 passenger buses for town use and 3 40-60 (or more) passenger buses for campus service. The three buses used exclusively for campus would be designed for rapid and maximum loading and unloading, with subway-type doors which slide back to open almost the entire side of the bus. Nineteen glass and plexiglass all-weather structures would shelter patrons waiting for rides. A transfer station would be constructed in the downtown area and a garage would provide a storage and maintenance area. Fares of $.15 one-way would be charged to townspeople with the possibility of books of tickets or some other quantity purchase. Students would pay $5 per semester ($2.50 per summer school session) for unlimited use of the total transit system. 1 St - ecora enrollment 'or second session Enrollment for the second summer session is the highest ever for a UNC second term-5.798 students, an increase of about 425 students from last summer's second session total which was the old record. The enrollment increase is particularly significant because the first term total was down more than 500 students from last summer's enrollment, some 6,600 students this summer compared to over 7,100 last year. The total enrollment for this summer's two sessions is about 12,350, down slightly from last year's record of 12,530. "We have intentionally tried to bring the enrollments in the two summer terms closer together this year," said Dr. Don Tarbet, director for the summer sessions, in announcing the figures. "Ordinarily we would expect to have between 1,000 and 1,500 more students the first term than the second, but this year the enrollment difference will be only about 800 students." This summer, the course offerings for the second term were considerably strengthened so that better balance might be achieved between the terms. "Because of our changes in the school calendar-finishing the spring term in May and then starting in August for the fall-we knew it might be a problem for some public school teachers to attend our first summer session," Tarbet added. "Therefore we thought it was particularly important that we build up the second term so that these people could take the courses they need." Tarbet also noted that there have been two distinct changes in the enrollment pattern-a marked decline in the number of out-of-state undergraduates in summer of public school teachers who attend summer school not just to renew teaching certificates but also to work towards graduate degrees. "Over about the last three years we have seen the percentage of our undergraduate summer enrollment by out-of-state students drop from about 32 percent to only about 27 percent of our total," said Tarbet. "Exactly why this has happened we really dont know, but fortunately the in-state undergraduate enrollment has been rising enough to about offset the drop." Also in the past few years, the State Department of Public Instruction has begun to offer teacher workshops around the state and offer public school teachers credit towards certificate renewal if they attend. This has decreased the number of public school teachers who must attend summer school simply to renew their teaching certificates." Next summer's calendar is expected to be about like this year's-the first summer term beginning in early June and the second term in the second week of July. One change for next year will be an attempt to add more 3 week courses so that a student can, in effect, attend one and a half summer terms. "Our course offerings in our 3 week courses this summer were so limited that it is difficult to tell just how successful they were," Tarbet explained. "But we feel that the potential may be there and we want to give these courses a better try." Despite this summer's drop in the over-all enrollment, UNC still sponsors the largest summer school program of any university in North Carolina, and one of The proposed plan will cost approximately $460,000 annually. However, a 50-percent Federal grant on capital expenses would reduce the amount to approximately $415,000 annually (or a 67-percent Federal grant to $400,000 annually). Initiation of the system would require approximately $600,000 with a working capital of $50,000. "We have attempted to balance the income resources of the community in financing the system," said Vick. "To begin on a meaningful, efficient level and keep the fare box at a minimum across the board, we have spread the broad base of income across the student body," he continued. In addition, a $.14 raise in town taxes (which would be reduced with the receipt of a federal capital grant) would subsidize the system. The proposed addition of $5 to student fees was met with some doubt that the trustees would approve such a hike. However, approval granted by the student body in a referendum would increase the possibility of the addition. "The system calls for service which is extensive and intensive but expensive," said Terry Lathrop, head of the Transportation Commission. "But it is a bullet that must be bitten. The bus service will make a great impact on the community, its parking problems and its transportation habits. People have been carried to the point that they have no choice due to the push of the parking problem." Consultant Martin further emphasized the need, saying "Lower income families ($3,000-$5,000) are having to spend 50-60 percent of their incomes on transportation. The residents of Northside and other areas of low-vehicle ownership are handicapped. The transit system will provide a low-cost attractive service." He further emphasized the permanence of the system. "We are proposing a permanent service, not a six weeks experiment. We can't expect it to carry its potential when it first begins. However, in two or three years, at the outside, the system should be paying for itself. The system has a potential capacity of 19,400 passengers." s I fx y : ' ' ' t f I v:,, : , $ v SL. f f?. LJ ' V 7 I l . , ' - ss " - I i" " , ' jj P A -,, - ft y tA,v. y iff t , ' v I V. t j ' : r I :: ' - - - ' vi Bowman Gray Swimming Pool, behind Woolen Gym, is a popular place in the summer. However, this swimmer, seems to be having second thoughts about
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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July 20, 1972, edition 1
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