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The dispute over bus parking on Langdon Street near Memorial Union was the topic of debate at the Transit and Parking Commission meeting Tuesday night.
Complaints arose when Greyhound bus services began providing service, 10 buses daily, at Memorial Union Jan. 17. There were concerns the additional buses would contribute to existing problems related to intercity buses, City Transportation Operations Analyst Keith Pollock said. "We felt this was a serious public safety issue at hand," Pollock said. City traffic engineering staff then met with the city attorney and found out city officials have some authority when dealing with traffic safety, Pollock said. The city attorney said there could be changes to traffic regulations at the location to maintain safety, but it could be legally problematic to prohibit Greyhound from using a particular curb space. As a short-term solution, the city implemented four 15-minute bus spaces on Langdon Street on January 18, Pollock said. However, the plan resulted in the loss of $67,000 in revenue due to the removal of parking meters, according to city officials. Committee member Kenneth Streit questioned why the bus companies do not move to another location. "They should come up with a totally different location that doesn't have anywhere close to the pedestrian density as the Memorial Union," Streit said. The companies will continue to use Memorial Union unless another location on campus is found, Pollock said. Another issue brought up at the meeting is whether or not Greyhound is responsible for paying the parking meters. Committee member Margaret Bergamini said if the buses are parked there, they are liable for the meter.
Source: http://www.dailycardinal.com/news/greyhound-bus-parking-near-memorial-union-sparks-debate-1.1969502 |