PLANS MADE TO EASE PARKING PROBLEMS AT UNIVERSITY

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department (MoDOT) could OK funding that would help decrease parking headaches and increase the walkability of the Southeast Missouri State University campus by Oct. 1.

The university has applied for a $2.5 million in grants for capital improvements and operating funds related to the university's shuttle bus system.

MoDOT requires grant applicants to schedule public hearings so that interested parties may discuss possible social, economic and environmental aspects of the project. The university advertised the hearing, which was scheduled for tonight. However, because no one submitted a request to be heard at the hearing by Monday, the event was canceled in accordance with MoDOT policy.

The bulk of the grant would be used to create a roadway on campus for the sole use of university shuttles. The roadway would enable shuttle drivers to use mostly-internal routes instead of city streets to transport students from perimeter parking areas to buildings on campus.

Shelters and other improvements would be built to give students awaiting shuttles a safe place to stand, and five replacement buses would be purchased with the grant. The plan possibly could include a multilevel parking garage near the transitway.

If approved, the university would have to provide a 20 percent match of the grant allocation.

The grant application also includes an $80,213 request to cover costs of operating the shuttle system for one year.

The operational funding requires a 50 percent match by the university.

"The whole purpose of the transitway is to try and move parking to the exterior campus so there is no traffic flow in the same place as pedestrians," said Kathy Mangels, university controller. "We're wanting to make the interior of the campus more vehicle-free instead of folks wanting to drive right up to the back of the buildings."

Mangels said one benefit of the transitway would be a decrease in traffic blockages on city streets near campus. Traffic often slows as shuttles go to and from their storage area near Sprigg and Washington streets. Traffic also backs up along North Henderson street from Broadway to Normal and on New Madrid near the Show Me Center, she said.

Also, by relegating student parking to the perimeters of campus, pedestrian safety would increase and students would have efficient means of getting from parking areas to classes, said Mangels.

"In some cases on campus it can be a real problem and create some safety hazards, especially in places where there are people walking in a vehicle's blind spot," she said. "We're trying to move those vehicles more to the exterior of campus and free up the interiors more just for shuttles and pedestrian traffic."

Although final approval of the grant could be months away, the university already has begun some construction work on the project. Contractors currently are bidding on a project to relocate tennis courts located west of Parker Hall near Henderson Street to the north athletic fields. Other bids will be offered later this summer to replace the courts with a paved parking lot for commuters and a portion of the transit system.

Mangels said the grant request would provide shuttle connections between the new commuter parking lot to Dempster Hall and the rear of Academic Hall, and from Dempster to Greek Drive and the polytechnic building which is currently under construction.

"This will not solve the parking deficit," said Mangels. "What we're doing here will not create -- besides the parking area where the tennis courts are now -- more parking spaces. It's making it more effective to use existing parking areas."