TECHNICIAN
Double-parked cars create commuter frustration Jake Moser Staff Writer
BRETT MORRIS/TECHNICIAN FILE PHOTO
Officer Tim Edmonds photographs an improperly displayed parking permit on Centennial Campus. So far this semester, tickets for permit violations have greatly outnumbered other offendses, such as encroachment by double-parked cars.
parking authorities. “I’ve called Transportation numerous times, and have spoken at a President’s Roundtable meeting, who came back saying the discussion led to no solution with Trans-
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Students across campus have voiced concerns about doubleparked cars on campus, taking their issues to the Wolfpack Student Group on Facebook as well as the first President’s Roundtable meeting of the semester. According to students on the “Wolfpack Students” Facebook group, the problem is particularly bad in the Coliseum Deck. Like most parking lots on campus, Coliseum Deck is crowded during peak class hours, exacerbating the situation when parking spaces are already limited. Brian Cerrito, a graduate student in animal science, commented on the issue of double-parking. “The Coliseum Deck is a nightmare as it is, and to make matters worse, people don’t have the courtesy to even attempt to park correctly,” Cerrito said. “I don’t know if people think they are just too important to check their parking job or if they simply don’t notice or don’t care that they parked badly. On a regular school day, I have counted as many as five double-parked vehicles and that is totally unacceptable, especially in the crowded Coliseum Deck.” While Cerrito and others blame the drivers themselves for not parking correctly, many think the administration should do more to resolve the issue. Ashley Crouse, senior in criminology, claims she has had more problems with the issue in the first few weeks of the semester than she did during all of the 2012 spring semester and has attempted to contact the
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portation,” Crouse said. “So now, I’m left calling them every single time there is a problem and hoping that others will do the same.” NCSU Transportation has a policy for double-parked cars — vehicles
will be charged with a $20 encroachment fine after an initial warning if one or more of the vehicle’s tires extends into an adjacent parking space. Melissa Watkins, parking enforcement manager for NCSU Transportation, explained the school’s problem with illegal parking. “For the parking decks, a majority of the tickets we write are for people who don’t have a permit or have the wrong permit,” Watkins said. “A lot of the tickets we write are warning tickets, especially around this time of year.” Watkins said Parking Enforcement has written 12 encroachment tickets this semester in the Coliseum Deck as opposed to 527 tickets for vehicles without a permit or the wrong permit. These tickets are $40 instead of $20 for encroachment. Watkins also offered some reasons as to why this is such a problem. “It could be an area where the striping isn’t that clear and that could lead to encroachment, or if they go the wrong way into the parking deck, they might have trouble getting into their spaces because the spaces are angled,” Watkins said. Watkins encourages students to inform Parking Enforcement of offenses and said communication is the biggest key to solving this issue. “We’re trying to pick up on whats going on,” Watkins said. “If there’s a pattern, my staff is supposed to notify me so we can fix the problem if there’s an area we need to focus on more.”
Proposed student fee to go to Sustainability Fund
Dan Allen gate to be installed over Fall Break Staff Report To decrease traffic congestion on Dan Allen Drive during the school and work day, NCSU Transportation has planned to install traffic access gates in the vicinity of the railroad tracks over Fall Break. According to Christine Klein, public communication specialist with NCSU Transportation, it is impossible for the Wolfline buses to meet on-time performance standards because of the busy street. Six Wolf line routes currently travel Dan Allen Drive, including three of the highest ridership routes, according to the Transportation website. The gates will be installed Oct. 4-5 and are expected to be operational by late October. Gate access will be restricted Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Only transit vehicles, emergency vehicles and University vehicles with SV or UV permits will have access during that time. However, the gates will be open to everyone at all other times. The gates are meant to keep buses on schedule and keep pedestrians safe when crossing Dan Allen Drive. According to Transportation’s website, the Wolfline service contract requires buses to achieve a 90 percent on-time performance.
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ects implemented in 2014. One of the first projects proposed is to convert the Bell Tower from The University Sustainability HID to LED lighting. Office is proposing a new fee be “The Bell Tower is among the added for the next fiscal year for top-5 energy intensive buildings the creation and implementation on campus because of the tradiof a Sustainability Fund at the tional HID lighting system and University. the tower’s small [gross square The fee proposal is asking for feet]. Conversion to LED would $10 per student annually to go reduce electricity by 50-65 pertoward sustainable projects cent. Maintenance costs would such as green be much lower bu i ld i ng i mas LEDs have up provements, to a 70,000 hour educational warranty life, or programs, enapproximately vironmental 16 years,” Paul research grants McConocha, a nd schola renergy program ships, and manager for Faleadership opcilities Operaportunities for tions said. students. Tw o o t h e r Caroline Hansley, According to proposed projSustainability Caroline Hanse c t s i nc lud e Commission chair l e y, S t u d e nt retro commisGovernment sioning t he Sustainability Commission chair HVAC in Engineering Building and junior in biological sciences, I and installing retrofit kits on 23 the fund has the potential to re- constant air volume fume hoods duce tuition costs for students in in Burlington Labs. the long run. The fund would also help ac“Our utility bill is more than complish goals set out in Chan$32 million a year, which trans- cellor Randy Woodson’s Sustainlates to roughly $1,000 per stu- ability Strategic Plan, according dent,” Hansley said. “As the to Hansley. The fund would aclargest school in this great state, complish all the goals set forth with one of the best engineering in the plan by 2015, which is the schools, we have an obligation to intended goal, Hansley said. be leading the way for cleaner, There are also 18 laws or comcheaper, renewable energy on mitments the University is not in our campus.” compliance with at the current If approved, the fund will be moment because of the lack of collected from students beginning Fall 2013 and the first projFUND continued page 2 Deputy News Editor
COURTESY OF GARYJOHNSON2012.COM
Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson advocates for small government and lessening the national debt.
Libertarian presidential candidate to visit Duke Staff Report
tolerance as well as put his party’s platform out in the open. Former New Mexico governor “As I travel the country, I’ve found and current Libertarian presiden- that young people are as concerned tial nominee, Gary as anybody about Johnson, has set out where this country to garner support is headed — maybe from student voteven more so, since ers on his College they know the naTour. Johnson will tional debt will be be coming to Duke theirs to inherit,” University to talk Johnson said. about the economy Johnson, w it h Thursday, Sept. 20. ot her Liber t a rJohnson’s tour ian colleagues, will began Sept. 17 at speak at Reynolds West Chester UniTheater in the Bryversity in Pennan Center on Duke Gary Johnson, sylvania and will University’s camLibertarian presidential end Oct. 9 at the pus from 7 p.m. to candidate University of New 9 p.m. The event is Mexico. Johnson open to the public plans to speak with students and and doors open at 6:30 p.m. supporters about his major issues on fiscal conservatism and social
“I’ve found that young people are as concerned as anybody about where this country is headed...”
“Our utility bill is more than $32 million a year, which translates to roughly $1,000 per student,”
Researchers create bionic cockroaches See page 5.
Curiosity rover begins mission to Mt. Sharp See page 6.
Big saves stop Wolfpack See page 8.
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