TRUSTEES HEAR TRANSPORTATION REPORT, APPROVE LANDSCAPE PLAN

   COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University Board of Trustees on Friday (5/7) heard a progress report on the university's five- year Transportation and Parking Plan. Trustees also approved a Landscape District Plan for the university, and changed the name of Park Hospital and approved bylaws for the hospital staff.

Parking fee increase is part of transportation status report

   Trustees heard about plans to move to Phase Two of the university's Transportation and Parking Plan, which includes increasing parking permit fees to fund bus replacement, medical center garage rehabilitation and construction of parking on north campus.

   Sarah Blouch, director of Transportation and Parking Services, told trustees Phase Two allows for the purchase of buses and shelters and establishes a bus replacement reserve fund. The office requires 25 reliable buses to maintain current service; the current Campus Area Bus Service fleet includes five new buses and 25 "vintage" buses, Blouch said.

   Blouch reported that repairs are required to reverse decay in the north and south medical garages. She also said the university should proceed with plans to build a 2,000-space parking garage on north campus to meet demand caused in part by the stadium expansion, Lane Avenue widening, and anticipated effects on parking when Larkins Hall renovations and Physical Sciences Building construction are in progress.

   "The Tuttle Park Place garage will open in June with 950 spaces, and will alleviate some of the unmet demand," Blouch said. "However, other upcoming construction will result in the loss of more spaces, which will further exacerbate already tight parking conditions on north campus."

   Phase One progress reported to trustees covered campus transit expansion, bus and parking lot maintenance, laying the groundwork for the additional north campus parking, and studies concerning campus traffic and south campus parking.

   Ridership is up almost 65 percent on the Campus Area Bus Service this fiscal year over last, and eight routes were added to expand coverage of academic and residential areas, Blouch said. She also said the below-market parking rates on west campus, combined with improved CABS service in the area, have succeeded as an incentive for customers to use remote parking.

   The new north garage will be paid for through user fees. If the rate increases are approved, the university will move forward with selection of architects and engineers to design the garage on north campus, and more in-depth study is scheduled for campus traffic issues and parking needs on south campus and in the Health Sciences area.

   The total cost of Phase One reached $2.8 million, with funding provided by cash reserves, ongoing net income and revenue from parking permit increases, Blouch said.

   Trustees approved the five-year master plan last June for traffic and parking, along with recommendations for parking fee increases.

   For fiscal year 1999-2000, the plan calls for parking permit fee increases of: $4.75 per month (to $28.75) for an A permit, $2.50 per month (to $15) for a B permit and $1.75 per month (to $10) for a C student permit. Students would pay $120 a year to park in the central campus area, but only $30 a year to park in the remote lots on west campus and take a bus to the central campus. Rates for the west campus lots for students, faculty and staff will be fixed at 25 percent of the rate for central campus.

   The plan recommends that fees for faculty, staff and students continue to increase for the duration of the five-year plan to fully fund all improvements, but trustees will have to approve each hike after reviewing proposals for the use of the revenue.

Board approves Landscape Master Plan

   All elements of the spaces outside of campus buildings -- from grass and trees to sidewalk and street pavement materials -- are subject to review and planning in the Landscape Master Plan trustees approved Friday.

   The plan supports long-range goals of conserving resources and enhancing the overall Columbus campus environment. Planners have outlined broad recommendations to promote consistency in appearance and ideal pedestrian traffic patterns as well as specific guidelines for such decisions as shrub and tree selection, spacing between structures, development of green spaces and other visual considerations. The document also categorizes all exterior spaces and provides recommendations for the treatment of each type of space.

   The plan's study area is generally bounded by High Street, Lane Avenue, state Route 315, and West 11th Avenue and the Health Sciences campus. Campus "edges" on Ackerman Road, 10th Avenue, King Avenue, North Star Road, Kenny Road, Neil Avenue, and west of state Route 315 also have been studied.

   The plan outlines four principal goals: conservation and enhancement of natural and manmade resources; integration and unification of the campus development fabric, such as reinforcing open space links as pedestrian thoroughfares; improvement and enhancement of the campus environment, which covers such issues as accessibility for persons with disabilities, traffic and parking, public safety and art; and enhancement of linkages with the community.

   Among the 20 campuswide recommendations, planners propose that a site improvement review process be established for any construction projects that add to or change the functional or visual qualities of the landscape. The plan's authors also call for increased staffing levels for landscape maintenance; definition of art and memorial locations; studies of signage, lighting and bicycle routes; and consistency in selections of furniture, fencing and pavement. Optimum pedestrian connectors also are identified.

   The plan designates six landscape priorities: the Oval, Mirror Lake Hollow, the High Street lawn, the Olentangy River Corridor, recreational fields and the Urban Forest -- the campus's overall tree canopy.

Park Hospital named changed, bylaws approved

   Trustees approved changing the name of Park Medical Center to The Ohio State University Hospitals East. The university acquired the hospital on the near East Side on April 8 and immediately took over operations of the three-building complex.

   The board also approved a set of bylaws for the medical staff at University Hospitals East. The bylaws, which closely mirror those in place at the Ohio State Hospitals, outline requirements for medical staff membership, appointments and reappointments, and identify categories of the medical staff and clinical privileges.

Contacts:
Sarah Blouch, Transportation and Parking, (614) 292-9800
Jill Morelli, University Architect, (614) 292-4458