Loop Bus Threatened by Federal Cutbacks

VOLUME 13 • NUMBER 6 • Wednesday Nov. 4, 1981 Linn-Benton Community College· Albany, Oregon 97321 Loop bus threatened by federal cutbacks By Linda Hahn Staft Writer Corvallis is that city for the linn- Benton Loop system - and officials Supporters of the Linn-Benton there are hedging their support. Loop Bus say it has the potential to They question outside control over link the mid-Willamette valley into a their new bus system, and whether cohesive transportation system. Corvallis itseH may take sale advan- Their grand plan, however, is tage of the payroll tax. OSU would be threatened by cutbacks in federal the largest contributor. spending. Denny Moore, administrator of the The Linn-Benton Transit Commit- public Transportation Division of the tee met last week at LBCC and com- state Department of Transportation, promised on the immediate fate of assured the Corvallis faction that the the loop in order to keep it alive. transit loop district could negotiate Boundaries for the proposed tran- with city officials to determine types sit district were tentatively set as the 01 services needed. city limits of Albany and Corvallis, He said that Corvallis may be able and the properties along Highway 34 to make itself a transit district. and 20 - the route the loop bus depending on its city charter. but travels now. hoped they would continue to Although larger districts were pro- cooperate with the six other parties posed, many members felt that voters of the committee as has been en- would more likely favor establish- joyed for the last seven years. ment of a smaller district. Corvallis officials wanted more The Transit Committee, comprised specifics before they would approve of representatives from city and inclusion in the district. county governments of Linn and Ben- Jean and Mike Corso, Albany City ton counties, LBCe and OSU, learned Engineer, will draw up proposals seven months ago that state alloca- showing how much money would be tion of federal funds for the loop will required from a tax base for different end in 1982. The committee decided size districts. Within two weeks to ask voters to form a transit district presentations will be made to ot- - a move originally recommended by tlcials of Albany and Corvallis. a transit study done seven years ago. If Corvallis rejects the transit Since then, Albany and Corvallis district other committee members separately began city bus systems may initiate a petition to override and, with Philomath, began the cur- their veto and put the question to the rent loop system connecting the 3 voters. cities. If that is voted down the committee The main advantage of a transit will be forced to ask that contribu- district is to have one legal body coor- tions from participating governments dinating public transportation in the and schools be doubled to keep the valley, according to Ray Jean, head of loop system operational. the transit committee and director of Jean said he does not believe that facilities at LBCC. any of the agencies can afford more Jean said the inefficiency of the than they are spending now. current fragmented system would be "It's been a long fight," Jean said. eliminated if all bus schedules and "The committee is getting tired. We transfer points could be coordinated would like to see it come to an end by a single governing body. with a success story.' A transit district can raise money Should the transit district be ap- through a law passed this year by the proved, the committee will be replac- legislature. The law allows taxing ed with a seven member elected state employers in the district six- board which will determine how much tenths of one percent of their total of a tax base will be sought. The Enrollment figures increase 2% payroll to finance public transporta- board would then conduct negotia- tion systems. tions concerning existing bus lines, Once the projected figure is reached The law also says that the biggest future annexations to the loop, ana By Doug 0110 enrollment in LBCe history. the Admissions Office will then limit city within the proposed district must all business involved with public Staff Writer Part-time credit students totalled 3,477, and non-credit or adult educa- the number of students admitted. sponsor its formation, which in turn transportation for the Linn-Benton must be approved by the voters. district. The "official preliminary" enroll- tion students totalled 4,769. Both According to the Slate Board of ment statistics for fall term, released figures are down from previous Education, the increase in communi- Friday by Registrar Jon Carnahan, terms. ty college enrollment statewide is IRSi"· snow full-time equivalent students in- due to the state's continuing high creased by 2 percent over last fall. Full·time equivalent (FTE) numbers attempt to show what enrollment unemployment rate and the fact that • Dating service opens in Corvallis, page 3. Fourth week enrollment statistics four-year colleges and universities in put the FTE total at 1,318, compared would be like if all students were attending full-time. Total coursework Oregon have increased tuition by 19 to 1,293 last fall. percent over the past year. The total head count, representing hours taken "by all students are added • The Halloween spirits invade, page 4. all students attending full-time or and then divided by the number of Figures released at the end of the part-time, was 10,407. hours equivalent to a full-time credit second week of classes at- Oregon By the fourth week of classes the load. State University show a 1 percent • Harriers prep for regionals, page 7. number of full-time students totaHed "We expect an increase of 3 to 5 decrease in enrollment - from 2,221 - the largest single term percent for the year," Carnahan said. 17,260 to 17,116. 2 Commuter. Wednesday, November 4,1981 Editorial Loop system must not fall prey to factionalism On the surface the formation of a transit district seemed to be aimed at preserving the loop systern-l-the link of transportation between the cities of Albany and Corvallis. Now,the issue has seemingly become a question of foresight in planning transportation for the future. Will separate county systems serve the public as well as a cooperative plan? In the past the loop was supported by money from L1no and Benton counties, the cities of Corvallis and Albany, OSU, LBCC and a hefty state grant. Because of federal cutbacks the state is bailing out and the loop system is looking for alternative financial support. ~'l""l~'", CoueqePress serves 0\. Contributions from the remaining six participants would \jU~~~ta have to be doubled to keep the system as it is now. This would be too heavy a burden for local taxpayers. The other alternative is to form a transit district which will be Right-to-Lifers fail' D.C. Comics 'nitpicks' paper able to utilize federal money allocated to the state for mass transportation. CHICAGO, IL (CPS) - D.C. Comics at the fictional Daily Planet in the As the cost of gas goes up mass transportation will become to kill funding for and its parent company, Warner cern- Superman adventures. muntcattons, have sued a student more of a necessity for more people, not just riders to and from Denbeck says the suit was filed newspaper to get it to change its after "we pleaded with" the paper to LBCC. student health care name. change its name. With its current If either Corvallis or Albany chooses to operate a system D.C. Comics, according to attorney masthead, the paper is "diluting and louis Denbeck, maintains that the destroying a very valuable strictly on its on behalf they will effectively eliminate serving PRINCETON, NJ (CPS) - Student paper at Richard J. Daley City Col- trademark. " the interests of people in both cities who are increasingly in fees at Princeton University will no lege, called the Daley Planet, tntr- "I think we're being more adult need of public transportation. longer be used to fund abortions, ac- inges on its trademarks associated about this than Warner is," replies cording to a new compromise The question of whether or not a transit district should be with Superman. Daley Planet editor Rhonda Forrest. adopted by the school's Trustee Clark Kent, lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen "For them to come down on us like formed is not at the mercy of the City of Corvallis. Should the Committee on Health and Athletics. and Perry White, of course, all worked this is really nit picky." necessary cooperation be witheld, the answer may lie in a peti- Under the university's existing tion drive. Then, people who live within the boundaries of the system, one dollar out of each proposed district will decide by ballot. Princeton student's mandatory The Commuter is the weekly, student-managed newspaper for Linn-Benton Community College, financed through student fees and advertising. Opinions Faults within the loop system are visible. There aren't health care fee is diverted to finance student abortions - a policy that has expressed in the Commuter do not necessarily reflect those of the t.scc ad- enough buses, and it takes too long to get to your destination aroused lengthy controversy among ministration, faculty or Associated Students of lBCC. Signed editorials, col. on a one-way loop. adrninstrators, students and faculty umns and letters reflect only the views of those who sign them. Cor- Improvements in the system are possible. members. The new plan takes money' respondence should be addressed to the Commuter, 6500 S.W. Pacific Blvd., Public input is to be encouraqed, If the district recieves from the school's permanent health Albany, Oregon 97321.

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