The Transportation and Parking Advisory Committee conducted two forums Monday to receive feedback from University students, faculty and officials about a new draft proposal to improve transportation systems at UNC.
The new program of improvements by the TPAC will go into effect starting in the 2001-02 academic year if approved by the Board of Trustees.
Improvements to the transportation system -- which include additional parking decks, extended Reverse U-bus and U-bus routes and visitor parking -- require $1 million in funding, which will have to be provided by University visitors, students and employees through parking fees.
Costs will be covered by increasing student and employee parking permit fees by 12 percent, increasing visitor parking charges and implementing an employee transit fee.
The employee transit fee is divided into a mandatory flat fee and a percentage fee. Employees will have to pay flat fees of 90 cents and a percentage fee proportionate to their respective salaries.
The TPAC plans to extend the hours of park-ride services to 8 p.m., improve U and Reverse-U bus routes and provide fare-free busing at all times of the day.
But some University officials and students expressed concern about the proposed plans. Some students asked if the money acquired from the $3.1 billion higher education bond referendum would cover the costs of the plan, but committee members said the bond would go to capital improvements only.
The proposal also suggests a new parking deck between Venable and Sitterson halls and the Friday Center.
But some disagreed with the possibility of this addition. "Parking decks will destroy the beauty of our campus," said one attendant of the afternoon forum.
