LTD to proceed with Rapid Transit plans
mis summer, LTD will begin
construction on Phase 1
of its Bus Rapid Transit, a new
system with its own bus lane
Caron Alarab
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
The first phase of the newest
transportation alternative to hit Eu
gene is set to begin construction
along campus at the end of spring
term. And although the start date
was pushed back a term, University
and Lane Transit District officials
said planning progress is steady, and
a vehicle model should be deter
mined by next month.
This summer, the LTD will start
construction on the first phase of its
Bus Rapid Transit, a system that will
have a separate bus lane along the
current median that runs down
Franklin Boulevard to Main Street
in Springfield. The project will cost
about #20 million, a small part of
which will go to the University after
LTD purchases property near Riley
Hall on 11th Avenue, at Robinson
Theater on Franklin Boulevard and
from Parking Lot 15 at Franklin
Boulevard and Agate Street.
“Once completed, Phase 1 will
serve either end of the campus,”
LTD Assistant General manager
Mark Pangbom said. “The Universi
ty has been great to work with.”
University Planning associate Fred
Tepfer said the laigest chunk of prop
erty to be purchased for the route will
be 15 feet of Lot 15, which will make
room for the BRT bus pad on Franklin
Boulevard. DPS Parking, Transporta
tion and Auxiliary manager Rand
Stamm said Lot 15—located at 13th
Avenue and Agate Street—primarily
accommodates for permitted faculty,
staff and visitor parking from 7 a.m. to
6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Stamm said the majority of spaces are
reserved for campus visitors, who
tend to park in Lot 15 first because it
sits across from Oregon Hall, the start
ing point of regular campus tours.
“Outside of the weekly hours, the
spaces are available to just about
anyone who needs it,” he said.
“Overnight parking is not permit
ted, however, so that we avoid ex
cessive car storage.”
Construction will not commence
at Lot 15 until after graduation in
June, a date Stamm said was in
tended to ensure “the best time in
the world” for the project. Despite
some minor parking problems for
Oregon Hall faculty and staff and
other regular parkers, Stamm said
the summer timing minimalizes the
impact of the construction process.
An additional inconvenience will be
posed to regular summer commuters
who use Franklin Boulevard near
Agate Street, which will be sludged
with traffic at certain points of the con
struction process, Pangbom said.
Parking and traffic disruptions
aside, Tepfer said the University will
reconfigure the layout of Lot 15, con
sidering the loss of space, and main
tain the same number of spots for fall.
Although LTD planners have sig
nificantly discussed phase one of
BRT with the University Planning
Office, a vehicle model has not been
chosen and a price tag for the Uni
versity property has not been set. In
terms of planning progress and proj
ect budgeting, Pangborn said one
has very much to do with the other.
“We’re still assessing the cost bene
fits of each model,” he said. “We hope
to have decided by next month.”
One vehicle model that has been
considered for the BRT project is
the Phileas, a sleek-looking model
created by an international compa
ny in the Netherlands. LTD Director
of Development Services Stefano
Viggiano said the “green” model is
of the latest transportation technol
ogy and is one of the reasons LTD is
still in search of additional funding.
Although all three of the models
are modem, efficient and environ
mentally friendly, Pangborn said
they are also very expensive, which
is why LTD has applied for addition
Courtesy
An artist's rendering shows how an RTD bus stop would look on Franklin Boulevard.
al federal funding to expand its op
tions. Although none of the Univer
sity property has been appraised,
Pangborn assured that everything
will follow a set procedure agreeing
with federal funding guidelines.
From University Planning’s per
spective, Tepfer said he is optimistic
about the BRT project because LTD
has made commendable progress in
planning for the new system.
“In general, we think this is a
great idea,” he said.
Phases 2 and 3 of the BRT route
will run from Springfield through to
the Gateway area and from Down
town Eugene through Coburg Road,
eventually making a loop back
around to the beginning of Phase 1.
Phase 3 is set to be complete by fall
2004, Pangbom said.
Contact the reporter
at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com.
rrotessors integrate Iraq war into curriculum
By studying history and
anthropology in relation to
current events, students can
gain insight on war issues
War hits home
Lindsay Sauve
Family/Health/Education Reporter
A situation such as the war with
Iraq can provide an opportunity for
students to learn that connections
between academia and real life do
exist. Courses in history, anthropol
ogy and even teacher education can
give instructors the chance to ad
dress the war’s political, economical
and sociological effects in a class
room setting.
Current events can play an impor
tant role in discussion of various
subjects. With this in mind, a num
ber of University professors have in
corporated analysis and examina
tion of the war with Iraq into their
lectures and lessons.
History Professor John Nicols said
current events can provide useful analo
gies for studying history. He added that
these comparisons can be used to prove
any side of a situation and are valuable
in providing insight into the motivation
behind current events.
“The analogy helps understand
human motivation,” Nicols said. “In
many cases, it’s fear that determines
the case for war.”
Nicols said the war with Iraq pro
vides a basis for studying tyranny
throughout history. Nicols compares
Saddam Hussein with Augustus, the
first emperor of Rome, and exam
ines how dictators can rule, hidden
behind a mask of democracy.
Diane Baxter, an anthropology
professor, also tries to tie in histori
cal perceptions in her course titled
“Arabs in the Middle East.”
“What I’ve tried to do is give my
students tools to understand what
the war means for Arabs, which is
very different from what it means for
Americans,” Baxter said.
Just as there are many different
American views, there is no one Arab
opinion, she said. Baxter added that
her goal is not to incorporate her own
opinion into the current events or
provide a political point of view, but
rather examine various perceptions
of history and current events.
But the war has implications on the
home front as well. During winter
term, sociology Professor Lynn Fuji
wara, in her course “Women, Work
and Glass,” examined how politics
and economy affect the lives of
women in Oregon. Her main focus
was the effects a war with Iraq would
have on the local economy. Students
shared newspaper clippings about lo
cal unemployment and homelessness.
As a teacher education instructor,
Sue Yockelson’s task is to teach her
students to understand their own val
ues and beliefs before they set out to
teach middle school students. In or
der to teach well, instructors must be
aware of their own opinions, espe
cially with a topic as heated as war.
“We teach students that, as a
teacher, it’s important to be aware ,”
said Yockelson. “It’s also important
for potential teachers to know the val
ues and beliefs of the community.”
Contact the reporter
atlindsaysauve@dailyemerald.com.
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