- The Executive Officers of the TT/UNIT Neighborhood Association met Saturday morning, November 14th. to discuss pertinent items with Legal Council. Ongoing concerns and interests of the group include the bus routes that began running down Flint and Boston Avenues in the Fall instigated by the TTU Student Government Association. In addition the “Tour de Tech Terrace” and occupancy by more than two unrelated persons (students) in the Neighborhood, were discussed. A meeting will be scheduled before Christmas with the appropriate University officials. They were unable to meet with u on Saturday. A meeting will be scheduled in January with City of Lubbock officials to discuss strategies and approaches regarding the ‘Tour:
- If anyone knows where any of the ten scheduled stops were held or planned for the Tour which took place in September, please send those addresses to me. If you know who lives there or who owns the property, ever better. We could use that information as we plan in advance of the next event in the Spring.
Friday, November 20, 2009
From the President
Michael T. Martin, President of the Tech Terrace/UNIT Neighborhood Association wanted to share some information:
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you assume everybody knows what happened and what this tour was / is?
ReplyDeleteplease explain to all of us who are wondering what you're speaking about.
I sure hope the conversation about the trolley included views like mine. I am delighted to seen the COLT running down our street every 15 minutes. Finally, TTU employees and students have a convenient option for mass transit to and from campus.
ReplyDeleteI, too, wish to hear more from the UNIT administrators regarding what happened during the meeting on 14 Nov. I have heard negative rumblings from various UNIT residences regarding the new trolley circuit through our neighborhood. However, I have seen no adverse effects of the trolley during my runs and bike rides through the neighborhood every morning.
ReplyDeleteWould the President be able to elaborate on the nature of the discussion regarding the trolley?
Aaron Yoshinobu
Concerns about the shuttle route arose last summer when we met with Dee Jay Wilde, external VP of the Student Government Association. In the context of the amount of additional traffic this would add to the already overburdened Flint and Boston Avenues, previous efforts to slow traffic, install crosswalks etc., we asked that they not put in these routes. Mr. wilde told us that they would not do so. They did so anyway, without any consultation. Only students with an ID can ride the shuttle. Not faculty nor staff. We are uncertain how many student residents (illegal though they may be) are riding versus how many are parking in our neighborhood and at area businesses, who already have limited parking. From the Daily Toreador, October 20th. “ Officers in the SGA who lived at Tech Terrace wanted to see a bus route that could provide transportation to campus…….” What an incredibly selfish attitude. The shuttle only makes one stop on campus, at the UC, where the SGA offices are located. Other apartment owners in the city may also like to see free bus routes provided for their student residents. Students pay a $48.00 per semester transportation fee; This is approximately $ 2.88 million dollars per year for busses. In addition, some apartments pay to have the route stop at their complex.
ReplyDeleteWe have discussed having the University rent parking from 34th. street churches and run the shuttles from there. It’s really not about the shuttle traffic through the neighborhood, although we have been discussing for two years or more, how Flint and Boston already carry too much volume and at too high of speeds. It’s about ethics, taking our neighborhood for granted and promoting the use of our neighborhood and parks to “park, party and pee”.
Michael T. Martin
Thanks for your comment, Mr. Martin. However, I still do not see what the problem is with the Colt trolley. You suggest that the Trolley would somehow increase traffic on Boston and Flint. If one Trolley is carrying 4-10 people, then it is reasonable to presume that there are 4-10 fewer cars driving to TTU through the UNIT.
ReplyDeleteAs far as ethics in parking, well, I'm not sure to what you are referring. Before you accuse the students of taking the parking 'for granted' and abusing the trolley, why don't we as a neighborhood collect some data on how many students use the trolley, how many of those students reside in the UNIT, and how many additional cars are parked in the neighborhood since the City began the trolley service. This is a distinct issue from parties and pee'ing.
Lastly, I suggest that you are taking the quote of the SGA officers out of context and offering a red herring to the UNIT. I hardly believe, nor is there any evidence to suggest, that the SGA officers were looking for a free limo service to the SGA offices at the SUB. In fact, the Trolley stops at Holden Hall, as well.
Yours,
Aaron Yoshinobu, UNIT Resident & TTU Employee
Mr. Yoshinobu, The problem as I stated is not with the Tolly as such. It's about the assumtion that we as a neighborhood don't really care about such issues or their detail. I think we do. The people riding the trolly are parking in front of our neighbors houses, tromping across their lawns, parking at 26th and Boston in the lots of the businesses and on the street. Theye also relieve themselves in the alleys while waiting. These are not assumtions, they are facts. We in fact, I agree, do not have data about the ridership; no one does. When you refer to out of context, the Toreador article mistated fect and quotes from Lonnie Cane with City Bus. We have spoken to him.You may wish to contact him for his exact take on what the real numbers are. The City does not pay for this service; it is paid for by the University.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear about the unethical manner in which this trolly was handled. The representative from Stuident Government lied to us. In his meeting with us it was clear that this route was intended mainly for those students in the student goverment association. I have not taken anything out of context.
Because the root of so many of the problems in our neighborhood are caused by having so many students living here, I stongly believe that they are all related. End the illegal occupancy by renters and you solve most of them, and go a long way to restoring safety, cleanliness, and peace in our homes, parks and streets.
I think Mr. Martin should be careful to not exclusively depict the student population WHO LIVE in the neighborhood as “renters” or having issues with their “ethics”. We have two homes on our block owned by students. They are wonderful neighbors who follow the city ordinances, maintain their yards well, visit with neighbors and have raised our property values by updating their homes. Doesn’t the UNIT President represent these folks too?
ReplyDeleteAs long as I have lived here parking has been an issue: not because there was a trolley but because students have walked to campus from the neighborhood. The solution used in the past was been street by street designation for permits followed by police enforcement of these designations. Why not approach the perceived parking concerns as we have in the past? We still have students parking and walking but I think those are being lumped into “trolley parkers”.
I feel this is an excellent opportunity for Mr. Martin and the UNIT association to show some leadership. The concerns I am hearing voiced by the UNIT President seem to be easily remedied through education. Years ago we printed a newsletter in Sept for all residents. It also welcomed the new student RESIDENTS (renters or owners) and explained ways to be a good neighbor. I have heard an Officer of the UNIT association describe the printing as too costly yet I personally have heard quotes for the printing as low as $400. I just wonder if $400 wouldn’t go a long way to helping our neighborhood get along better.
The fact is we will ALAWAYS have students living here with us or driving in from somewhere else to campus. This was the case when most of us moved to the UNIT neighborhood and a big PLUS for my family. For those UNIT residents who teach or work at Tech they spend their workdays educating, advising and guiding students. The students are why we live here. The challenge for the UNIT is getting along- particularly when something new comes along like the trolley. Why not educate and guide the students rather than despising and denigrating them? Why not work WITH SGA to inform the riders of the concerns?
Finally, the Trolley is a green alternative to transportation. Of the trolley riders I know ALL are faculty and staff. My elementary aged children ride the trolley and have never been asked to show a student ID (and couldn’t possible be mistaken for a college-age student). Don’t any of the UNIT non-student residents want to go on campus to have a cup of coffee, enjoy the architecture and landscaping, shop at the bookstore or go the Southwest Collection? I think the depiction of the trolley as only serving “students-who-park-in-the-neighborhood-and pee” needs to be revised to include numerous UNIT resident students and resident non-students.
There is nothing worse than folks making suggestions and not offering to help. I would be happy to volunteer my time to work with SGA to help them understand the concerns of some in the neighbors and ask for education of those riding the trolley.
When is our next UNIT Association Meeting? Are they scheduled for 2010 so we can let all residents know this will be a topic of conversation?
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for the trolleys in lieu of the Citibus "bus" like we had 8 years ago when I moved back into TT. I think Todd and I will ride it one day to check out the route and number of users. Any joiners? Pedestrian shoping, transit and green space are all positive signs of a healthy community. Brandy Davis, 22nd Street
I am delighted to see the Trolley in the neighborhood. It draws attention to public transportation as an alternative to driving. The opportunity to visit TTU campus without the hazzle of parking sounds marvelous. Alot of my friends don't want to come to campus to meet me for lunch because of the parking hazzle. Maybe now they will. And just think once you are on campus there are buses to the medical facilities, museums, international center....what a marvelous opportunity for a nice outing or tending to business.
ReplyDeleteConcerning students who live in our neighborhood...I like Celeste have found that if you get to know them the majority are good individuals and just need a bit of guidance as how to be good neighbors. The persons I find fault with more are the landlords who don't appear to care about their property and just want to make a quick buck off the students. The least these landlords could do is switch to xeroscaped yards instead of just letting the grass die and turn to dust lots. In general I think that alot of the landlords do not live in Tech Terrace and maybe this is the group we need to start a conversation with about upkeep of properties. I think if you move into a nice looking place it is easier to keep it that way. Concerning more than two unrelated individuals in one house...well if there are three real bedrooms and the cars are parked in the driveway....maybe three is OK...we could certainly use an open discussion with students/renters, the city, and home owners who live in the neighborhood.
Just some ideas to mull over with your coffee.
Hello Trolley Lovers/Haters!
ReplyDeleteI took the trolley home from Tech tonight at 5:29 pm; delightful service from Holden Hall to 31st and Flint. There were 7 students on board (although, I don't know if I could really say that they were all students, as opposed to service workers at the Sub, or Maintenance workers, or staff, or faculty, or...). On my one mile journey, 3 of the "students" got off, two with me, and as I watched the two with me, neither of them went to a car parked on a side street and drove off to their comfortable abode in southwest Lubbock! Instead, they walked a few doors down the block, and entered into their reasonably maintained houses!
Tomorrow after work, I'll follow some "students" when they get off the trolley at Lowes and J&B and see if they get into F350's in the parking lot (after buying a 40 pack of Bud at Lowes) and rumbling down to their westside homes!
The latter part of my post is, of course, in jest. But, the former is a minor little observation that attests to the value of having the trolley run through TT.
Yours in humor,
Aaron
Callum Hetherington said.....
ReplyDeleteI believe that Mr. Martin's comments are misleading, taken out of context, biased and not conducive to a constructive discussion on the topic. For those who are interested, the Daily Toreador article it may be found here: www.dailytoreador.com/news/tech-terrace-shuttle-routes-show-increased-ridership-1.20276424. May I also suggest, in the interest of fairness, that people make contact with Dee Jay. He is an open and approachable chap, doing a difficult job. However, he has always found time to meet with me and I am sure will be only too willing to present his side of the meeting.
The DT article suggests that, as early as October, use of the Trolley was high. It has increased significantly since then, and I hope that passenger numbers continue to grow. The accusation that the route was instigated for the benefit of SGA officers is a gross distortion of the article. Meanwhile, a former SGA external VP openly admits that students from elsewhere in the city park in Tech Terrace and commute to the campus by bike, on foot, or by bus; they recognize the issue and are not trying to hide it. Perhaps, with growing numbers and the success of the Trolley service, the proposal to establish park & ride systems from the 34th St region should be revived? It should also be noted that the bus is operated by Citibus; it is a public service and should be accessible to anyone - just purchase a ticket!
Opening constructive dialogue on the problem would be more helpful than spreading muck. Accusing SGA representatives of being liars is not helpful. Furthermore, I am disgusted that someone who purports to represent me and my neighborhood would level such an accusation in an open forum without significantly better data and evidence.
There are many problems that could be addressed by the TT UNIT, but the belief that the cause of all evil is students is simplistic, and in my opinion, downright wrong. Personally, I have a problem with dog walkers of all varieties letting their animals use my front yard. (At least the accused students have the decency to use the alley ways). However, I am not foolish enough to lobby for the exclusion of dogs from the neighborhood. A stance that seeks to minimize student activity in the area would be similarly misguided, counter productive, doomed to failure and will result in a significant deterioration in town-gown relationships.
Mr. Hetherington, thank you for providing the link to the DT article, I will let people read the article and decide for themselves how to interpet it. I also agree with you thet open and constructive dialogue is helpful, that is what I though we were doing here. I am not leveling an accuisation here, I am stating a fact. Unless you were in the meeting I don't see how you can accurately gauge the truth.
ReplyDeleteMy stance, I am afaid to say, is positively and entirely to minimize ILLEGAL student activity in our neighborhood.
I do not have an answer about openess of the service to other than students or if you can pay to ride, I will check into that.
I will aslo state that the town-gown relationship you allude to is already more than a deterioration. Tech officials have been less than cooperative and in fact declined to meet with the organization officers when asked to do so. The Fiji Olympics held in Wagoner Park and the Bike tour are two of the many instances where the University should be involved but they are not.
Since the trolley started the park n riders on the north side of Wagner Park (26th street) have picked up. As the weather warms the new moms fitness group with babies and strollers come and use the park regularly in the morning. TTUNIT and the City may contemplate parking restrictions on the park side to ensure that non-park use vehicles don't take over.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see the trolley it makes me smile! I feel like WOW what a cool way of transportation! I feel like it is a San Francisco treat, without the hills!! I feel like our neighborhood is above and beyond all the rest when I see the trolley! It just looks cool and what a cool way to travel! It makes us unique and FUN! Two great things in life!
ReplyDeleteAs far as, parking issues with businesses...why do they not get parking signs put up that say, "NO PARKING HERE TO RIDE THE TROLLEY OR WE WILL HAVE YOU TOWED AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE!?
"The Fiji Olympics held in Wagoner Park and the Bike tour are two of the many instances where the University should be involved but they are not."
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that these are things that we should not have in our neighborhood. I don't however, think that these are University sanctioned events and talking with Tech is not going to help. I assume that since these are events organized by a fraternity (FIJI) and who knows who the heck does the Tour de Tech Terrace but I would guarantee that the University does not sanction it. I am all up for students having a good time, but last years went too far and I would like to see effort in putting a stop to organized drunk fests in our town (yes, we have had drunk kids peeing in the front yard).
As for the bus, I am well in favor of it. Lubbock is by far the smallest town I have lived in and the lack of public transport or culture of public transport is sad. Having the trolly run through town (and even seeing the hybrid bus in town) is a nice start. I too would argue for working with one of the churches on 34th and making some agreement for use of their parking lot. But don't penalize students who live in Tech Terrace legally from taking the free bus.
Fight the illegal activity by all means but let's not go against good common sense.
I'm not up to speed on the politics of the matter at hand, but as an ordinary resident of the UNIT neighborhood for twenty years, I cast a big YES vote for the trolley. At the risk of sounding like a tree-hugging liberal, anyone concerned about our nation's economic, energy, and environmental challenges should be supporting public transportation as a crucial part of the solution. It seems like any issues the trolley presents for our neighborhood should be addressed in light of the undeniable fact that public transportation saves money, helps the environment, and reduces traffic congestion. And yes, I would be willing for students to park in front of my house (or even pee in my alley), if that was the trade-off for these same students being willing to reduce their carbon footprint by riding transit every day. (Although in reality, the only change I have noticed in my far corner of the neighborhood at 32nd and Boston since the trolley began running is a twenty-fold increase in foot traffic down my sidewalk to the nearest stop...bravo!) Let's keep the dialogue going and work toward solutions that are not only conducive to our neighborhood, but to our environment as well.
ReplyDeleteKeep the trolley and work with the students who rent in our neighborhood or whose parents purchase a house for their children in our neighborhood....this is our opportunity to 'grow' good citizens
ReplyDelete