COLUMBUS - Record-high bus ridership and an update on campus parking fees were among the details of a transportation and parking progress report presented to The Ohio State University Board of Trustees Friday (6/2).

The university is preparing to enter Phase Three of its five-year Transportation and Parking Master Plan, which addresses the need for additional parking garages, permit fee increases over the next three years, rehabilitation of north and south medical garages, and preventive maintenance and scheduled replacement of buses.

Sarah Blouch, director of the Office of Transportation and Parking Services, gave an update on this year's progress before presenting initiatives for 2000-01. She said campus bus ridership is expected to reach 3.5 million this fiscal year - a new, all-time record. That compares with 2.3 million riders last year and 1.3 million in 1997-98.

Blouch said customers' ratings of campus bus service remains high, even with increased passenger counts and no increase in Campus Area Bus Service funding. In fact, Transportation and Parking's Transit Service Improvement Team won a national award - sponsored by the College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology and USA Today - for transforming the campus bus service into a viable, economical and popular alternative to automobile use on Ohio State's main campus.

Blouch said the draft of the South Campus/Health Sciences District Parking Plan has been completed and, after customer feedback is obtained, a final report will be presented to trustees this summer. At least 1,500 new parking spaces are needed.

"Because of the rapid pace of development in this area, it is imperative that sites be reserved now for new parking facilities, or the University not only will experience a severe parking shortage, but also will be unable to effectively remedy the situation," Blouch said, adding that immediate needs in the South Campus/Health Sciences area may warrant building garages there before the proposed Lane Avenue site, across from the Fisher College of Business.

Blouch told trustees the multi-use Tuttle Park Place Garage, which opened in June 1999 across from the Fisher College of Business, sets the standard for future garage construction. The garage offers 950 parking spaces, retail shops on the ground floor, and a satellite office for University Police and transportation and parking.

Trustees authorized the 15 percent increase in annual parking rates for 2000-01, recommended in the five-year plan presented to the board in June 1998. Blouch said these rate increases would generate approximately $850,000 annually to help fund construction, operation and maintenance of parking garages.

An "A" permit for 2000-01 will cost an Ohio State employee $396 for the year, up from $345 this year. A "B" permit will increase next year to $207 from $180 and a "C" permit will rise to $137.70 from $119.70. As designated in the plan, fees for west campus parking stand at 25 percent of central parking fees.

Board approves construction contracts

Trustees heard a report of contracts awarded for university construction projects at Ohio Stadium, the Jerome Schottenstein Center, Agricultural Technology Institute/Ohio Agricultural Research Development Center (ATI/OARDC) and Doan Hall.

The Ohio Stadium project calls for increasing seating capacity, bringing to code compliance, and upgrading spectator amenities. The project was launched during the summer of 1998, and is expected to be completed by September 2001. More than 23 contracts were reported for services ranging from demolition to site utilities to concrete work. The total project cost is $187.7 million.

Contracts have been awarded for a parking lot and road modification at the Schottenstein Center. The $5 million project completes the four lanes for Fred Taylor Drive from Lane Avenue to Ackerman Road, reconfigures these intersections to improve traffic flow, provides for signals, and includes construction of a 2,000-car parking lot on the west side of Fred Taylor Drive immediately north of the existing lot.

The ATI/OARDC project calls for a $5 million Center for Education and Economic Development. The facility will house an executive business and industry conference center with provisions for a satellite link and telecommunications center.

Plans call for the renovation of space on Floor 5 East of Doan Hall for the relocation of the Ambulatory Bone Marrow Transplant Program and the relocation of the air handling unit serving that area. The cost is $1.1 million.

Property purchases approved

Trustees also approved the purchase of property at 1445, 1457, 1469 and 1544 Neil Ave. from The Ohio State University Foundation. These are all five- to 10-unit apartment buildings located outside but close to the south campus acquisition area.

The property is being purchased for $843,500, and will add 36 bedrooms to the University's student housing program. The purchase will be internally financed and any debt will be paid out of receipts from the properties.

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