Duke Student Government voted unanimously Wednesday to officially request more information from the administration on certain parking and transit issues.
The memorandum, directed to the Department of Transportation Services, requests increased disclosure and communication pertaining to a list of issues in parking and transit that affect undergraduates, said junior Cliff Davison, DSG vice president for facilities and athletics. It also asks for the department to respond with "updates and solutions" at the DSG meeting next Wednesday.
Davison and Attorney General Will Fagan, a senior, presented the memorandum, which was entitled "The State of Undergraduate Parking and Transit at Duke University" and submitted by the DSG Transit Advisory Subcommittee of Facilities and Athletics.
Referring to the new parking plan released last April, Fagan-who lives off campus-said he is upset that the administration informed the student body of the parking changes two weeks after registration for the fall semester.
"I had 20 minutes to get from Carr on East to Sanford, and that's basically impossible," Fagan said.
The plan, designed by Director of Parking and Transportation Services Cathy Reeve, proposed, among other changes, eliminating West Campus parking spots for off-campus residents and increasing parking permit costs. It also mentioned improving communication between officials and students-a proposal that Fagan said the administration has yet to bring to fruition.
Parking concerns listed in the memorandum include student involvement in the ticket appeal process, a commitment to student membership on the Duke Transportation Advisory Committee, financial justification of permit prices and ticket fines, and long-term planning.
The memorandum also calls for off-campus bus routes that would serve Duke's greater community, clarification of existing bus routes, continuation of SAFE Rides and a new point-to-point transit system for general use, similar to a taxi service. Other recommendations include integration of bicycle and pedestrian routes with transit, integration of the transit systems at the Medical Center and the University and a transit program during freshman orientation.
"I feel like there's a lot of angst and frustration among students, but this is an opportunity for the administration to come clean and to improve their communication with [DSG] and with the entire student body," Fagan said.
Davison said he hopes his committee will present policy recommendations based on these issues to the Legislature in November.
IN OTHER BUSINESS: Legislators adopted a statute--submitted by junior Pushpa Raja, chair of the Student Organizational Finance Committee, and junior Dan Kravitz, DSG Treasurer--that increases the DSG portion of the Student Activities Fee from $72 to $73 to account for inflation.
DSG voted to charter Circle K, a community service organization, and to recognize the International Association for the Exchange of Students with Technical Experience and the Duke Band.
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