Thank you, Madam President. The problem with the parking has less to do with the available spaces on the campus, because there are substantial number of parking lots and garages on the campus. The problem is with the students and their unwillingness to use the parking on the campus because they have to pay for it. So what they do is drive into the community and find free parking spaces in the community. 108 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. Normally the response to that would be permit parking, but the community feels that it's been there longer than Temple University and they shouldn't have to pay for permit parking to park in their own community. So that's the problem that we have. So to add additional parking spaces on the campus is just really not an answer, because people are not going to park in the current parking spaces. So we just have to figure out a way to convince people that they need to get permit parking so we can adequately enforce those measures. That's our biggest issue down there.
I believe it's 109 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. around $80 a month.
I'm not sure it's that much. My daughter goes to Temple, and I believe -- she's in her fourth year, but I know in the beginning I used to give her the money to park and it was 40 bucks. It was $40. So I don't think it's gone up to 80 yet. It could have been an increase, but I don't think it's 80.
Thank you for correcting me, Councilwoman. I think the number I was pulling for I think was probably for the employees. So I thank you for that.
All right. And I agree with Councilman Clarke. On my way home many days, I drive through Temple's campus up 13th Street or either up Broad. I agree that it's probably -- I think Temple has lots of parking lots and available opportunities to park, but I think the young people don't want to pay, and 110 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. that's when they go out into the neighborhoods. And I read most of what you send out as a parent and I think you do encourage the young people to park in the facilities and get these passes or whatever. And I guess you would be landlocked. So it's kind of hard to provide additional parking. You have a lot of parking, unless you build garages, because right now you're sort of at the open lots. But sometimes you just have to be a little bit creative and work the situations out. But I do know that the students -- because my daughter was actually parking somewhere closer to Susquehanna Avenue at one point, and I said, no, I didn't really want her parking up that far. I wanted her to go back down towards the campus. But I just want to commend -- the campus has grown so, and not so much expansion, because I go up 13th Street most of the time, and even just going up 111 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. 13th Street, it's just -- I think it's 13th Street. It's just changed a lot, and I think it's a good change. I wanted to comment and say that. Thank you.
Thank you, Madam President. Has the University done an analysis of the percentage of commuting students versus those who live on campus?
There's something that I've seen done a few years back, Councilman, when they tried to get a number on that. It's a little bit of a difficult issue to nail down specifically, because sometimes the students will use different modes of transportation to get to campus. Sometimes they'll drive, sometimes -- 112 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC.
I'm talking about people living in dormitories versus those who are not registered in dorms.
The numbers that have come out of that have shown pretty consistently that there are fewer students who are living in the buildings and driving at the same time.
Could you give me like a ballpark percentage of what your typical commuter percentage is versus the people who live on campus? And I don't mean off-campus apartments, because it's really hard to determine those numbers. It's just who is registered in your dorms as a percentage of your student body versus who has to come from somewhere else, those who could walk to school and those who can't walk to school. Where I'm headed is, have you guys sat with SEPTA at all as far as attempting even if it comes to be part of the amenity of being a Temple student is 113 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. a transpass? Would it be worth it for the University to try to even pay for that stuff as a pilot project as opposed to the contention in the neighborhood as opposed to trying to find parking spots and figure that out? And what are the regulations for residential students with cars? Because I know, for example, in some universities freshmen are not permitted to have a vehicle on campus if they live there. Now, again, you don't want to constrict the attraction of the University to a freshman who has a car, but then again, you have to live within the reality of being in an urban campus. I'd be just curious of whether SEPTA, if you guys could explore that, whether SEPTA would be amenable considering its need to improve its ridership, considering students in general not minding to use public transportation. I know I've talked to a number of students at Penn. They would love to 114 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. use public transportation if SEPTA provided 24-hour consistency in getting on and off the campus. For example, from Old City to Penn, after a certain time the bus stops running and they need to take cabs or take a car. So I would think that the Temple students, as a general rule, would not mind using the subway or bus system if in fact you gave them some incentive to use it for free or an extremely reduced rate. I just think that since that Broad Street Line is right through the middle of your campus, it would seem to be a lost opportunity not exploring some innovative way to as part of your tuition -- I mean, in the end, you could pass it on. As part of an incoming freshman commuter, you get a transpass for the year or for at least the school year. I think SEPTA would perhaps jump at the opportunity to increase its ridership in that way.
Councilman, to 115 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. your point, I know that there have been some conversations probably going back about two or three years ago just to see if there might be some kind of additional discount that students could receive. Of course, it was coming at a time when SEPTA was still wrestling with its own budgetary issues, so they were saying that they didn't think they could reduce that cost any.
See, I don't think in the end SEPTA would be the one paying for it. I think in the end the University would be the one paying for it, and if you hide it in the tuition payment, who cares, as long as you can pass it on. You pass on stuff to everybody. If they think they're getting it for free, they're more likely to use it, especially if they could use it not only getting to school but going from campus to someplace to hang out, South Street, Manayunk, Old City, whatever. I think that we don't in many 116 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. ways as a City plan transportation around student bodies on our major urban campuses, because what I hear from them is that they would love to get on a bus and go somewhere and have fun, but also get back on that bus at midnight, 1 o'clock in the morning and have a consistent route, which SEPTA can't provide for them because the ridership is not -- it's almost a chicken and egg. They cut the bus route down a certain time because there's no ridership, but no 14 ridership because there's no bus. So I think certainly considering the Broad Street subway's proximity to everything on your campus, that I would be giving away free passes to get them out of their cars.
Councilman, I should add to that, there have been -- I'll use an example. We run a shuttle service, which doesn't cost students any money. All they do is show their ID, and it takes them down to Center City. I 117 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. guess there are about two stops in Center City that it makes and then it returns back to the main campus. In fact, it even goes out to our campuses out in Montgomery County as well. That's one of the ways that we've tried to address some of that, but, of course, I won't be able to satisfy everybody at all times. But that service is available for most of days of the week. The one challenge there for us, unfortunately, is that during the summer months because the need for that shuttle service is not as high, so we don't continue that during the summer months, even though we're finding out around Temple's campus because you have so many private developments that are up now, you have a lot more students who are staying beyond the normal fall and spring semester schedules. They stay over the summer months as well to try to find --
I don't even know what a transpass costs for a 118 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. year, but it can't be that astronomical a number. And rather than run your own fleet and have your own insurance issues and your own boys to have to drive the buses, you have one of the better transportation systems in the country, even though it's expensive, right in your doorstep. So I would encourage you to try to find out something that would get a free transpass in their hand. Maybe they'll use public transportation more. Thank you.
Thank you. Any other questions or comments from members of the Committee? (No response.)
Do we have anyone else to testify on this bill? (No response.)
Seeing none, Mr. Bishop, do you have a request on this?
Yes, Council 119 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. President. We'd like to respectfully request suspension of the rules for this bill.
Thank you all very much. This will conclude the public hearing of the Committee on Rules. We will now go into our public session, and the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke regarding Bill No. 060290.
Thank you, Madam President. Madam President, I move that Bill No. 060290 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request for suspension of the rules as to allow reading at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 120 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. 060290 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation; further, a recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will please say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilwoman Miller regarding Bill No. 17 060342.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Bill 20 No. 060342 be voted out of this Committee with a favorable recommendation and further move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session. (Duly seconded.) 121 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC.
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 4 060342 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation; further, that a recommendation be made that the rules of Council be suspended. All in favor will please indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney regarding Bill No. 060344.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that the amendment offered to Bill No. 060344 be approved, and that amendment is replacing Maps A and Maps B on the attachment. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that the 122 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. amendment be approved. All in favor will please say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it. The amendment is adopted. And I would make a request that someone went and make absolutely certain that the Chief Clerk's Office receives a copy of the amendment. Again, the Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Bill No. 19 060344 as amended be reported out of this Committee favorably and a request made for rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 123 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. 060344 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation as amended; further, that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. The Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke regarding Bill No. 060444.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Bill 060444 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request for rules suspension as to allow reading at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 25 060444 be reported out of Committee with 124 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. a favorable recommendation; further, that a recommendation the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will please say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Again, the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke regarding Bill No. 16 060445.
Thank you, Madam President. I move that Bill 060445 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request for rules suspension as to allow reading at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded Bill No. 125 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. 060445 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation; further, that a recommendation of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will say aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it and the motion carries. Again, the Chair recognizes Councilman Clarke regarding Bill No. 16 060446.
I move that Bill 060446 be reported out of Committee with a favorable recommendation and a request for rules suspension as to allow reading at the next session of Council. (Duly seconded.)
It has been moved and seconded that Bill No. 25 060446 be reported out of Committee with 126 6/6/06 - RULES - BILL 060290, ETC. a favorable recommendation; further, a recommendation that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next session of Council. All in favor will indicate by saying aye. (Aye.)
The ayes have it, the motion carries, and this concludes our public hearing and meeting on the Rules Committee. Thank you all very much. (Committee on Rules adjourned at 12:20 p.m.) - - - 127 CERTIFICATE I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings, evidence and objections are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me upon the foregoing matter on June 6, 2006, and that this is a true and correct transcript of same. ______________________________ MICHELE L. MURPHY RPR-Notary Public (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)