Lack of student attendance for a Speak Up event and regular meeting of Student Government Association forced the Board of Governors to discuss mainly among themselves.
Only nine students attended the Speak Up event held at Mountaineer Station to discuss transportation issues. The small number of students in attendance was "unfortunate" said Gov. Taylor Richmond.
With 22 SGA members in attendance, Richmond said the BOG could still use the opportunity to learn more about transportation.
"Here’s our chance to pitch around ideas," he said. "A lot of you guys are interested in running next year so you have a chance to get familiar with one of the greatest concerns on campus."
Questions about the PRT, Mountain Line Transit Authority and parking citations were asked to a council including Hugh Kierig, director of Parking and Transportation; Arlie Forman, associate director of the PRT; and Nathan McKinney, special services officer for Mountain Line.
The way the PRT is currently running is failing its riders, Kierig said. A master plan to update the PRT will be unveiled in January with an estimated cost of $100 million, he said.
"The PRT is a 20-year-old system built with 1960s technology," he said. "We are dealing with computer systems and parts that are no longer available."
An updated PRT system could save the University $700,000 a year with more efficient technology and a smaller staff, Forman said.
Ways to pay for the updated system were discussed, including receiving federal money, borrowing funds and selling advertising space.
Kierig said there were problems with those ideas because federal money had to be matched by the University. Also, finding someone to loan the money would be a challenge.
The University is nervous about selling advertising space because it could hurt the PRT’s image, he said, adding it is a status icon.
Issues with the increase of parking citations were also discussed. This year, citations for parking illegally were raised to $20 – a $10 increase from last year.
Fees were increased to encourage students to park legally, Kierig said. Last year, the University made $800,000 from parking citations, which was used for parking facility maintenance.
The total number of citations issued this year is going down due to the $10 increase, he said.
Following the Speak Up event, SGA held a regular meeting where the BOG unanimously passed a resolution to build a trail connecting the downtown and Evansdale Campuses.
The idea has been in development for more than 20 years, when the need for a safe path for students between the campuses was identified.
During announcements, SGA Gov. Abby Sobonya said she is not running for re-election and was looking for someone to take over her platform. She is in the process of forming a student lobbying group, she said.
The BOG also voted to cancel next week’s meeting due to dead week. SGA’s regular meetings will resume at the beginning of next semester.
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