Ticketing outside TSC raise students concerns
Students have voiced their concerns about the sudden ticketing enforcement in the Taggart Student Center turnaround to members of Associated Students of Utah State University Executive Council.
Newly posted signs and ticket enforcement by campus police have been implemented to decrease the amount of traffic hindering Aggie shuttle buses and prevent drop offs and parking in the turnaround. Members of ASUSUEC voiced their concerns about the sudden change and the possibility of citations reaching $75 for a violation.
“I am concerned specifically because there was no student input,” ASUSU Student Advocate Al Lambert said.
Although not certain who made the decision to enforce a ticketing policy and the no parking or standing signs, Lambert said the parking advisory committee should have been approached with the new enforcement.
“There was no press release, no warning, no alternative options,” she said.
If members of the parking committee or ASUSU had been informed, then student leaders could have increased campus awareness about this problem, she said. Lambert admitted this is a problematic area for motorists, especially shuttle drivers. However, she said this decision has affected thousands of students and she has received complaints about the lack of warning or information available about this new policy.
However, the problem in the turnaround does not fall under parking jurisdiction, rather it is a traffic violation. USU Chief of Police Steve Mecham said the area in question is not a parking lot, therefore it does not concern the university’s parking department. Officers “wouldn’t go to the parking committee or the students” to enforce the law, he said.
The issue is covered by law, not policy, for the police to enforce a policy to curb traffic violations, Mecham said.
However, ASUSU President Les Essig disagrees with the lack of communication from the police department and students.
“I think it is wrong that the chief of police is changing a parking policy,” Essig said. [Police officers] are not there to change or make those policy changes.”
It does not matter what department the changes went through, Essig said, there should have been warning or advertising, it just “shows poor customer service on their part.”
Ron Godfrey, vice president for business and finance, said Mecham told him officers would not issue any more payable fines, only verbal warnings.
“I don’t want to have to see kids pay,” Godfrey said.
However, it is hard for the shuttles to maneuver around individuals trying to fulfill a personal need and preventing bus drivers from doing their jobs. Faced with student concerns and confusion about the new policy, Godfrey said “it’s too early to draw conclusions.”
“I’m looking for solutions, not pointing fingers at people,” he said.
Although student input was not addressed prior to the implementation of this policy, Brent Windley, director of Facilities Planning, said this is a “bigger issue than just signs.” He said Facilities Planning is in the process to clean up the bottleneck the turnaround creates among shuttle buses and private vehicles.
“We don’t think we can solve it with just signs,” Windley said.
To fix the daily battle between buses and cars, Windley said the tentative plan is to have a separate turnaround for shuttles and another before it for those who are dropping off friends and family. Although, a designated area has not yet been decided on, the turnarounds will prevent shuttle-car mixing.
Windley said there has been problem with vehicles lingering in the turnaround is a violation for what the turnaround is for.
“People just go in and park places and you’re supposed to go around them,” he said.
-kcashton@cc.usu.edu