Costs loom for commuters

By Boyd Fletcher
fletchar@mscd.edu

The cost of commuting to campus for students may be increasing in more ways than one.

Meetings are being held this month to allow for public opinion on the proposed parking fees at Regional Transportation District park-n-rides for out-of-district commuters.

The proposed plan is to allow for two free parking days for all commuters, with in-district commuters having to register their vehicles with RTD to maintain parking for free. Commuters from out-of-district areas will be required to pay $4 per day, or $40 per month, to park.

RTD's district covers Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties.

RTD spokesman, Scott Reed, said that the parking fee is being considered because of budget shortfalls in the past year and that those who live out of the district and are using RTD are getting the same benefits as those who live in the district without paying taxes toward the public transportation system.

Residents and non-residents who leave their cars in the park-n-ride lots longer than 48 hours will be charged $6 per day.

RTD has also proposed that 10 to 20 percent of the parking spots be reserved from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. every day.

The public is encouraged to come to the meetings this month to give their suggestions.

RTD and T-REX estimate the I-25 light rail expansion to be completed and opened by December 2006 or possibly a few weeks earlier. The construction is almost complete, but the 34 new trains must log 1,500 hours of safety testing each before they can carry passengers.

"The trains are a critical and key component to our possibly opening a bit early," Reed said.

Along with the possibility of paying for parking at park-n-ride stations, this spring students at Auraria will again vote on whether or not to take part in the RTD bus pass program as well as a possible increase in the rate.

Currently students at UCD, CCD and Metro pay a roughly $24 per semester fee for complete bus and light rail service.

"Opportunities for Auraria students to ride RTD are among the best in the district," Reed said. "That, coupled with the new corridor due to open, there will be an exponential growth in student riders."

In late April to early May, RTD will evaluate student ridership, as well as overall inflation of RTD prices due to the expansion of the light rail and bus service because of T-REX, Reed said.

"There is definitely a need for an increase," said Zach Banks, a representative on the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board. "The campus has increased a lot in the last 10 years since they made the contract and so there is going to be some need for increase."

While the figures will not be available until Spring, Banks said he would consider a raise of $10-15 per semester to be reasonable.

"The bus pass we get now (would) cost $109 per month if you had to buy it every month. And we pay $44 per year," Banks said. "We get a good deal."

Dean Wolf, executive vice president for administration for the Auraria Higher Education Center, said that while the price of the eco-pass available to faculty has gone up from $32 to $42 this past year, he could not provide any figures as to what a possible increase on the student pass might be.

"Consider what you are paying in gas prices and parking, and those might be good incentives to use public transportation, if they don't already," said SACAB representative Shaun Lally.

Metro junior Dionne Grinde said she has taken the light rail to campus from the downtown Littleton station for the past three years.

Metro art major Alex Kramer said he just rides the light rail train to and from school.

"They really need more parking at the Mineral station," Kramer said. "It's ridiculous, I'm starting to see cars getting towed."

Both Kramer and Grinde agree that the expansion of the light rail line adjacent to I-25 will benefit students, and is a good incentive for students to approve the student pass.

"I would vote to keep it, especially with it (the new light rail line) opening along I-25," Grinde said.

"The faster they can open that up, the better," Kramer said of the new light rail line. "The way it is set up now, you have to drive to park and ride it. It'll be nice when I can just walk to the station."

However, some students have found that driving to campus is a better alternative.

"I took the bus before, and I didn't like it all," said Metro freshman Elizabeth Gillitzer. "I used to park at Broadway and take the light rail, but not anymore. I plan to take the light rail when they finish it down '25."

Gillitzer said she has been parking in the $3.75 parking garage west of the Tivoli all semester.

"It's getting expensive," Gillitzer said.

Gillitzer said she would not be in favor of an increase to the program until the new services are available.

"When they finish the light rail, I think it will be fine," she said. "But right now, since I'm not using it I don't see a need."