Letter: DSG continues to work toward transit solutions

Through my intense involvement with the Duke Student Government facilities and athletics committee on our parking and transit initiative, I would like to take this opportunity to clarify what we are doing to address the many parking and transit problems on campus.

Our resolution on this issue was passed unanimously by the legislature Oct 30. The resolution called for delivery of the memo that Brandon Goodwin explained in his Nov. 12 letter to the editor and that Ian Roth takes so much issue with in his Nov. 14 letter to the editor.

In the memo, we asked that the administration provide answers to many questions, only some of which made it into Goodwin's letter. Director of Parking and Transportation Services Catherine Reeve appeared before the legislature Nov. 6 and answered most, but not all, of our questions to our satisfaction. Moving forward, we have formulated several policy recommendations and are in the process of presenting them to the administration.

Among the issues we address is the concern over the long-term plans of the University for undergraduate parking. Also, the equitable allocation of parking fine revenue is of the utmost importance. I can think of no reason why Roth is so willing to make excuses for the administration given their hiking of already excessive parking fines, new parking garage or not. Of course, we consistently look towards making the East-West bus route more accessible, and in fact, there has already been an increase in buses on the East-West route between 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.

While parking and transit are notoriously confusingat this University, the problems can be solved with the University's available resources and proper timing. The memo that Roth mistakenly deems worthless is but DSG's first action in improving the undergraduate parking and transit experience. It is our hope that a just solution can be reached and we ask for the student body's patience while we navigate our initiatives through the bureaucratic quagmire that is the Duke administration.