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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1981)
LTD plans University route change By RICHARD WAGONER Of the Emerald Three possible bus route changes outlined at a public meeting Thursday would give University students in the Amazon and Hilyard streets area direct service to school. But riders of route 21 LCC via-Harris Street from southeast Eugene to the University would find their direct service to r school eliminated under the proposals. The meeting was one of 14 public gatherings being held by the Lane Transit District to de termine where next year's route changes should be made. LTD is planning the changes to off set expected revenue reduc tions. "We’re here to develop a sys tem that can handle money fluctuations,” said Dan Herbert, LTD board member. Declining ridership, possible cuts in federal mass transit subsidies and a poor economy have forced continued belt-tighten ing measures by the transit dis trict', Herbert said. LTD staff is trying to develop a new system that will emphasize productive routes rather than coverage. Routes with good Acting Pres. Paul Olum spent an hour in the SUAB grievance and information booth with David Newell (left) in the EMU Thursday answering questions, giving directions and, in one case, loaning KEZI anchorman Don Clark $5 for lunch. "I haven't had a big complaint yet, ” Olum said. "And here I was ready to handle all those complaints." ridership will be continued, and routes with limited use will be altered. The net result, Herbert said, will be a more flexible bus sys tem that will provide service where demand warrants it. The changes will include eliminating several “loop" routes and replacing them with "line" routes. The loop routes that provide widespread bus coverage are slow and inflexi ble, said Clara Chambers, a transit district representative. But line routes — those where buses double back on the same streets rather than looping through different neighbor hoods — can be altered easily depending on rider demand, she said. LTD staff outlined these route-change options for Southeast Eugene: • A direct connection to the University for residents of east and west Amazon would be provided by changing route 26 Willamette to 26 Amazon /Hilyard. Riders of the Willamette route now have to transfer at the downtown mall for a campus connection. Route 21 LCC-via-Harris riders would use the Olive/Wil lamette couplet rather than the Patterson/Hilyard couplet between the mall and 18th Avenue. Harris riders would have to walk to Hilyard to catch a direct University bus. • The 23 Fox Hollow route would be rerouted through the University via Hilyard Street without stopping at the mall first. The 21 LCC-via-Harris commuters would use the Pear l/Oak couplet between 10th and 18th rather than Patterson /Hilyard. This change would provide access to shopping at 18th and Oak for Harris riders at the ex pense of direct service to the University. Harris residents again would have to walk to Hilyard for University-bound buses. • The 26 Willamette would become 26 Amazon/Harris with a stop at the University prior to arriving at the Mall. The 21 LCC via Harris would become the 21 LCC via Hilyard, and Harris Street riders bound for Lane Community College would have to walk to Hilyard for direct ser vice to LCC. Chambers also said LTD is searching for new revenue sources to hold down additional service reductions. ‘‘We're trying to broaden our revenue base,’’ she said. "We've already done a lot of belt-tightening.” LTD last month reduced ser vice by 11 percent and laid off 19 drivers to hold down costs. OSPIRG answers, Eaton returns funds Funds for the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group were released by ASUO Pres. Dave Eaton Wednesday after being frozen since Dec. 8. Eaton froze the funds after the OSPIRG state board fired the group’s state director Dec. 6. And he released the funds - totaling $27,000 — after receiv ing information from the state board requested early in Jan uary. “I feel more comfortable with what they're doing this year. They’re looking more organ ized,” Eaton said. But the release will not affect his recommendation on OSPIRG’s budget for next year. ”1 have no reason to doubt things will run smoothly, but we’ve been operating on promises for three years." Eaton said he plans to wait until May or June — the end of the budget year — to see if the program deserves more than the $10,000 he has recommended. “This time I want to see (re sults) first,” he said. Before releasing the funds, Eaton wanted to see the group’s plans for the upcoming legisla tive session and a list of activites being planned by OSPIRG’s state board. The released funds will affect both the University and state OSPIRG programs, local OSPIRG member Steve Schneider said. And although operating funds have been released to the University group, some projects have been delayed, he said. “I can’t say we’re terribly op timistic about the budget. The cuts are drastic — we’ve already proven we’re effective." But Eaton says he isn't sure University students still want OSPIRG, adding no students have contacted him about reduced OSPIRG funding. However, Eaton does support some funding for OSPIRG. "If I wanted to get rid of them, I’d recommend no funding," he said. The IFC will consider OSPIRG's 1981-82 budget Tuesday. SPRING VACATION. HAWAII March 21-28 $419.00 Airfare only * Limited space available Call 687-2825 EUGENE TRAVEL 831 E, 13th Eugene, Or 97401 IFC pares travel center budget The Incidental Fee Committee sliced away almost two-thirds of the Student Travel Center’s 1981-82 budget request Wednesday night, citing duplication of travel agency services as the main reason for the cut. The STC requested $2,336 for the coming year, but the ASUO recommended zero-funding for the organization. The IFC cut $585 from the director and as sistant director salaries — $783 less than STC's request. The group’s total allocation for the year totals $868. A 4-3 vote avoided zero-funding. In other business, IFC members debated the question of whether student funds should be used to pay for recruiting black students to the Univer r sity by Black Student Union members. BSU director Don Brown said black enrollment at the University is down 50 percent since fall term. The University is only concerned about recruiting black athletes, he said, so it is ‘‘up to the BSU to take care of the problem” of enticing other blacks to the University. The committee voted 6-1 to allocate $320 for the BSU's recruiting efforts, bringing the group's total budget to $11,854. In other business, the Model United Nations received $2,098. The English Graduate Student Film Series received $500, and Architecture and Allied Arts Committee received $2,920. 1 BOOTS Birkenstock. 2nd Floor Atrium 10th & Olive Mon.-Sat. 11-6 687-0065
