Committee proposals affect ND transportation
ANDREW THAGARD
Assistant News Editor
Based on safety concerns, Notre Dame officials have approved a policy requiring the removal of two rows of seats from 15-passenger vans and the eventual phase-out of the vans within University transportation pools.
The decision, along with other issues being considered by the University Vehicle Committee, may hinder future student access to transportation, according to student government leaders and the Center for Social Concerns. The move, in fact, prohibits University departments from purchasing, leasing or renting new or used 15-passenger vans.
"We've had concerns over CSC vans for years," said Marty Ogren of University Transportation Services.
A consumer advisory issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in April, however, prompted the specific request for the removal of two rows of seats, effectively making 15-passenger vans 8-passenger vehicles.
"Fifteen-passenger vans [with 10 or more occupants] had a rollover rate in single-vehicle crashes that is nearly three times the rate of those that were lightly loaded," the U.S. Department of Transportation wrote in an April press release.
"There are other institutions across the country that have prohibited the use of 15-passenger vans," said Robert Zerr, director of Risk Management. "It's an issue that raises questions of why anyone would want to use them based on this advisory."
Risk Management brought the safety concerns to the attention of the Vehicle Committee last spring and the Committee made the recommendation to Father Timothy Scully, executive vice president.
The policy, as approved by Scully, specifically requires the removal of the back two rows of seats from 15-passenger vans, maintaining reduced weight in the back of the vehicle. It also mandates installation of signs stating, "Under University policy, this vehicle may not be driven unless every person has their seat belt fastened."
"[The decision] created a transportation crisis for Notre Dame organizations," said Ryan Alan, the Vehicle Coordinator for the CSC, whose organization operates 18 vehicles, has 750 authorized drivers and books 150 to 200 trips each week.
Officials have attempted to compensate for the lighter passenger load by giving the CSC an additional four vehicles and providing the group access to a University-sponsored vehicle rental system where the organization is allowed to rent mini-vans and sedans at cost, according to Dan Skendzel, executive assistant to the vice president for business operations.
"It's probably affected the CSC less than any other organization because they typically would not send out a 15-passenger vehicle with 15 passengers," Ogren said. "The fact that they are renting very few vehicles indicates that they've been meeting their needs."
Alan, however, disagrees, saying that renting vehicles has been costly for them.
The Vehicle Committee, for its part, is considering other proposals that could shape the face of Notre Dame transportation in the future. But University officials declined to comment on specific policies that they are considering.
The CSC and student government representatives have also expressed concern over the possibility of Committee approval for scaling back CSC-run vehicles and instead operating a University-run shuttle service. Student leaders are concerned that the shuttle service would only be available from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily and would restrict students' ability to do community service, according to Meghan O'Donnell, Pasquerilla West senator.
"No matter what happens with the vans, we still want to be sure students can have access to transportation at night," O'Donnell said.
Skendzel, however, said the Vehicle Committee has all but dropped the shuttle concept and replaced it with the transportation rental pool.
"This was cost-prohibitive and really didn't answer the logistical problems," he said.
A final decision won't come until the Vehicle Committee publishes a report.
"The Vehicle Committee is assessing University vehicle-wide use," Skendzel said. "The committee will be putting together a recommendation for University-owned vehicles. That recommendation is still in progress, but that will determine how we go forward."
All News Stories for Thursday, February 28, 2002
