Driver Upset with New Bus Routes
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An Associated Collegiate Press Four-Star All-American Newspaper Story BlO The Tuesday September 24, 1996 250 Student Center University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 V OLUME 123 N UMB ER 6 Students,' driver upset with new bus routes BY ELIZABETH BEUKE lA students' choices are limited.'' the idea behind the new routes make Sraf/ Rt'JWrTt'r In the new system there are four more sense than last year's. The implementation of new basic routes and an Express Bus However. some students who have university bus routes have sparked route. Routes are designated by color spent excessive time waiting at stops concerns from both students and with one destination for each color. say the bus schedules do not employees over the system's lack of Each bus runs from one central hub. accommodate students' schedules. efficienC). the Smith Hall Overpass. With the '·[The university] ne.eds more Students who travel the routes new routes it is necessary to change buses. We spend too much time just have found that the busses not only busses at the overpass to get across sitting around," said Erika Deputy. a deliver them to class late. but that the campus. freshmen physical education major. new schedule itself is hard to The new routes were designed to Josh Jackson. a senior geography understand. "cut down on time and provide better major. said, " We're always fiv e ·This is part of a classic problem service to stops such as Pearson Hall minutes late to class beca use we cf the university making a field and Perkins Student Center." said spend .a couple minutes at every decision behind the desk:· senior Charlene Benson. interim director of stop.'' electrical engineering major Larr) Supporting Services and assistant to Benson said the waiting time at James said. the senior vice president. each stop was built into the schedule Students are not the only one 'This way we can c ut down on to ··assure the buses were on sc hed ule up ct by the changes. Maureen overlappin g buses, and with Smith as and not running· early. Canale. a driver for the university. the focal point. we can concentrate on "After 9:30 a.m. the buses should said the new system is no better th an getting students to classes and provide be running on schedule.·· Benson the old one. service to addi tio nal areas.'' Benson said. "[This semester] we in stalled '·Last year· s could have been fine said. clocks on each bus to ensure that tuned to do better service. The But the new bus routes have been everyone was on the same time university is running more buses and met with mixed emoti ons. table." serving fewer stops."' she said. "The Many students said they agree that see B US page A4 Biden plans to aid students THE REVIEW I Bonnie Schmelz University Police officers Emmett Robinson and William Texter trave l around Democrats propose a plan campus on bikes, wh ich allows them to monitor areas not accessible by car. to restore $3.2 billion cut in federal education spending Patrolling Newark's BY SCOTT GOSS Ntwonai/Swre Vt·n _\ Edaor Since the Republican Party took control of Congress streets on bicycles in 1992. funding for education has been c ut by 9 percent ($3.2 billion) at the federal level. Republicans have attempted to terminate the direct BY BETH MA TUSEWICZ eight-hour shift. all week long, all day long. unless an Copy &litor ;tudent lo:m program. eliminate the six-month grace officer cal ls out of work, he added. period to repay those loans and increase the interest Usually, policemen don't need to worry about being With both pedestrian and auto traffic coming to a rate on PLUS loans. mn over by cars during their daily routine. But for officer vi rtual stand&till on campus in the midst of changing Republ ican presidential Bill Texter of the University Police. this is an everyday classes. the officers on bikes find it easier to get around. candidate Bob Dole ha's promised, if oo~m . Since they are not restricted to riding on the road. they News elected, to eliminate the Department Texter is involved with a program for the police that can travel through ewark on walkways where vehicles of Education. places officers on bicycles. This makes it ea icr for aren ' t pcnnittcd. Flatley said. Analysis Sen. J oseph R. Biden Jr .. O offi cers to get to areas of campus where students often "But still if an officer is riding a bike. or if anyone's • De!.. has other plans. walk. Capt. James Flatley said. tiding a bike for that matter, they need to follow the 11Jies In August. Biden affirmed the Democratic Party's This fall. two additional officers were trained and of the road. So if )OU came to a red light you'd have to defense of federal educatio n funding by introducing certified on bicycles.and added to the force. b1inging the stop:· he added. the "Get Ahead .. Act. total number of officers on the bikes to II. Flatley said. There are both advantages and disadvantages of being The act (an acronym for Growing the Economy for There arc four specialized Hard Rock and Nishiki on a bike rather than in a car. Texter aid he likes being Tomorrow: Assuring Higher Education is Affordable mountain bikes used by these officers. outside in the fresh air and getting exercise while he and Dependable) would. a(eording to Bidcn. restore Texter was trained last spring on the bikes and has works. As for the ri~k of being hit by cars. Texter said. "It the proposed $3.2 billion cu t in the education been hiking on campus since then. He patrols all over has gone a lot better than l thought it would. although appropriations bill scheduled to be voted on hy the campus duting his day shift. but said some biking officers they have come close:· Senate this week. THE REV IEW !Josh Withers have specified sections. like North or South Campus. A downside to the bikes is thai the ofllcers riding them "The point is. it's getting harder and harder for Sen. Joseph Biden promises to support federal Although the police have been using bicycles for at cannot easil y pull cars over. Flatley said. "We don' t middle class families to afford a college education at a education funding with his " Get Ahead" Act. least live years, the number of certified officer keeps encourage our offi cer [on bikes] to pull people over in a time when it is becoming overwhelmingly apparent to increasing. Flatley said. vehicle. There· sa little disadvantage there.'· "When [the bikes] became popular in other cities. we Although the officer are not ·'encouraged .. to pull cars rich and poor alike that a college education 1s a A tax exclusion for employer-provided educational prerequisite to middle class life." Biden said. had officers \\hO saw this and said ·Jet's give it all)':·· he over. Texter said it docs happen. They have pulled people assistance would be made a permanent part of the tax said. ··wc·vc been at it for a while. over running red lights or making illegal left tums for The act it self includes eight provisions: code. An annual S I 0.000 tax deduction for the co.st of "The department has stre<,scd getting the officers out example. However. " I don' t like to do it in some spots Funds from Individual Retirement Accounts could there on the bikes." he added. because r m afraid of getting hit." Texter said. higher education and interest on student loans would be withdrawn before the age of 59 without being be available for individual taxpayers with incomes In addition. the force has hired three additional There are some thing that are easier to do on the bikes s ubject to the I 0 percent penalty tax. if the funds are officers. which gives those bicycle-ccrtilied officers more than in the cars. For example. officers on bikes can pull under $70.000 and married couples with incomes used for higher education tuition and fees. under S I 00.000. opportunity to patrol on bikes. he said. right up to a pedestrian committing an alcohol violation, Families could annually invest up to $200 per c hild There is at least one officer on a bike on campus each College ~cholarships and fellowships grants would in Education Savings Accounts. Contributions would no longer be considered income for the purposes o f see BI KES page A 7 federal taxation. see BID EN page A4 With elections looming, ·NAACP returns to rock the vote BY PETER BOTHUM said. '·But I want us to continue to issues are ... he said. Jones said the student then the tide has shifted. year. Hayman said. E \t'l uril·t' Ediror work and to carry the torch that was Jones' goal this year is to NAACP. which is and a lot of younger "Younger students can mobilize Almost one year to this day. the I it.'' continue the campus chapter's currently 65 members people lost interest in the to deal with issues that affect them campus chapter of the NAACP was That " torch'' is the fire that Akala resurgence by registering people to s trong. has a voter st ru ggle ... every day:· Hayman said. '·Racism recogni~:cd by the university and lit under the presumed-dead student vote and finding more ways to get education week slated to Wilson said that wit h is rampant.