SHUTTLE FOR SEMO LOTS CONSIDERED

Southeast Missouri State University is considering establishment of a shuttle bus system to encourage greater student use of parking lots on the perimeter of the campus.

The system would also help alleviate traffic congestion in the central portion of the campus, university officials said Tuesday.

Southeast's parking committee has recommended setting up a shuttle system and adopting a preferred parking plan for commuter students and those living in campus residence halls.

It's envisioned that there would be parking fee increases as part of the new parking arrangement, university officials said.

The preferred parking concept involves allocating a parking space for each parking permit, said Ken Dobbins, vice president for finance and administration.

"All the interior, close lots would be preferred parking," he said.

Dobbins said the parking committee has proposed putting the new parking system into operation with the start of the fall semester.

Doug Richards, public safety director and chairman of a 15-member parking committee, said a shuttle system should help improve the parking situation at Southeast.

"I think with the limited parking we have on campus, there is a definite need for a shuttle," he said.

"We have a lot of spaces available. I know, if you are ever on campus, you wouldn't believe it," said Richards.

But he pointed out that like many universities, Southeast's parking problems are in the middle of the campus. "The interior of the campus is really jammed up."

But the university's lots on the perimeter of the campus remain nearly empty in many cases, said Richards.

The Washington Street, Show Me Center and First Baptist Church lots are on the perimeter of the campus, farther away from classes.

The Washington Street lot, for example, can accommodate about 400 vehicles. Currently, only about 50 cars are parked there on any given day, Richards said.

"We have room for about 200 to 300 cars on the Show Me Center west parking lots," he pointed out. But few students park their cars in those lots because they are far from the center of campus.

"If we put them in those lots, we have got to ensure they can get around campus, to and from their classes on the right schedule," said Richards.

Both Dobbins and Richards said the shuttle system is also needed because the university stands to temporarily lose about 400 parking spaces if a new business building is constructed near the Henderson and New Madrid intersection.

Dobbins said increased parking fees, which have yet to be determined, would help fund the shuttle system and improve parking and the maintenance of the lots.

With the increased funding, Southeast would seek to pave its gravel parking lots and better maintain those that are already paved, Dobbins said.

"There will be an increase in fees, but there is going to be something for it," he said.

Dobbins said the current proposal is to bid the shuttle service to a private contractor. Eventually, the university may look to purchase its own shuttle vans and operate the system itself.

It's estimated the shuttle system could be operated in the coming 1993-94 fiscal year for about $100,000, Dobbins said.

Plans call for one shuttle van to proceed in one direction, stopping at six parking lots, with another shuttle van proceeding in the opposite direction. A third van would be used for a shuttle express service, running from the Henderson Street lot to the Scully Building lot and on to the Show Me Center parking lots.

The shuttle express would run during peak hours, said Dobbins.

The regular shuttle routes would provide students transportation to and from the Washington Street, Show Me Center, First Baptist Church, Henderson Street, Scully Building and Grauel Building lots, Dobbins said.

The proposal calls for seeking federal funding of $35,000 to $40,000 to help pay for the shuttle operation. The rest of the funding would come from the reallocation of some money now budgeted for the nighttime, residence-hall shuttle service, and parking fees, Dobbins said.

It would take about 25 minutes for a shuttle van to complete a full route, he said. The shuttle system would be operated throughout the daytime, beginning around 7:15 a.m., he said.

Southeast's Budget Review Committee has endorsed the shuttle concept, although no official vote has been taken, Dobbins said.

He pointed out that the shuttle system is still a proposal at this point and has yet to be presented to President Kala Stroup.

But Dobbins said that if the proposal moves forward, the university could be in position to advertise for bids within the next few months.