TPAC Set To Solicit Feedback

The forums are open to the entire University community. The first will take place from 10 a.m. to noon at the School of Social Work in the Tate-Turner-Kuralt Auditorium. There will be another from 2 p.m to 4 p.m. in the fourth floor Clinic Auditorium of the Old Clinic Building, and the final forum will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Union Auditorium.

TPAC members said they hope the forums will give all faculty, staff and students an opportunity to offer insight on possible new transportation and parking policies for next year.

"We need to raise this with the campus as an issue," said TPAC Chairman Bob Knight. "The more they are informed about this, the better people are going to feel."

Each forum will outline the existing parking and transportation system on campus and then present the options the committee is deliberating for next year.

TPAC has been discussing ways to help the Department of Public Safety find sources of revenue to help offset a more than $2 million debt for the 2002-03 year.

Possible sources of revenue discussed include paid night parking, the institution of an employee transit fee and an increase in the cost of parking permits.

Knight said the committee will present methods that could close revenue gaps at DPS and then solicit the opinions of the forum attendees to find out how they feel it would affect them.

Carolyn Elfland, associate vice chancellor for campus service, said the committee should not implement any program next year without consulting the University community.

"If we don't present it at the forums, then I don't think we should do it next year without telling anyone," she said.

TPAC has to make its recommendations for next year's parking and transportation programs to the administration and the UNC Board of Trustees in March. Committee members said they will consider the opinions expressed at the forums when making their proposal to the BOT.

New policies will take effect Aug. 18 if the BOT approves the committee's recommendations.

The forums will not address the elimination of resident student parking on campus, as TPAC has decided to delay a discussion on when this process will begin until March.

Students living in residence halls will still be offered on-campus parking next year.

There are two main night parking proposals facing the committee -- one presented by economics Professor Boone Turchi and a group of students, and the other by Cheryl Stout, assistant director of parking services.

Differences between the two proposals include the cost of the permits, whether to designate some lots as free or open parking and whether to allow resident students to purchase a night permit.

Stout's proposal does not allow resident students to purchase night permits while Turchi's does. Turchi's proposal does not allow for open parking anywhere on campus, and Stout's proposal designates the Bell Tower, S10, S11 and T lots as free. The price suggested by Turchi and the students could range from $50 to $100, while Stout's has the figure at $363.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.