U. to expand and improve transit services

Penn officials plan to continue transportation service to Center City and extend the Penn Loop bus schedule. Students expecting to wait a half hour after calling Penn Escort may soon be pleasantly surprised. The Penn Transportation Task Force has recommended several improvements to existing services, according to Vice President for Business Services Steve Murray, the Task Force chairperson. Murray said the University will also maintain transportation services to Center City, despite concerns that these services encourage students to move out of University City. Before the University even considers ending Center City services, it must make University City a better area in which to live, Murray explained. "[That way] you are not just taking away something and not providing an alternative for them," Murray said. Many proposed changes involve improving communication between the various components of Penn Transit and between the institutions that provide transportation services in West Philadelphia. Murray said he hopes to better coordinate walking and riding services by stationing walking units at sites where Escort vans stop, such as High Rise South. This would shorten the wait for students who need to walk somewhere from those transit stops. In the past, students have complained that after they are dropped off at a transportation stop by an Escort van they must wait for a walking escort home. "That? can compress what maybe used to be a 45-minute experience to a 10-minute experience," Murray said. The Penn Loop bus service --Ewhich circles campus -- will be extended from midnight until 3 a.m. Penn Escort will employ an additional phone operator during peak hours between 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., while also increasing its phone system's capacity to queue calls. Penn Transit Services will also distribute wallet-size schedules for its buses and vans, in addition to piloting vans with a center aisle to allow passengers quick entry and exit. Long-term goals for transportation include coordinating with SEPTA to make University City routes more useful for the Penn community. Officials may also use the PennCard as a method of payment for SEPTA rides. Murray said he is also looking to work with landlords and local institutions like Drexel University to reduce costs and redundant services. Murray said van service will be expanded despite concerns that Escort vans eliminate foot traffic and leave area streets deserted. He added that many residents have praised the van system, claiming it allows people to live in University City without the fear of walking home alone. But Task Force Committee member Hillary Aisenstein said she was upset the group did not address the issue of vans removing people from the streets. "University opinion is that [vans] increase safety and that is debatable," the College sophomore said. The Task Force reported that modifications made this fall -- in the wake of the crime wave -- have cut response time. This fall's changes included the addition of three new Escort vans and the extension of van services to involve more Greek houses. Students said the changes have had a positive effect on Escort services and response time. "The time it takes to get to your door has really improved, because I was really dissatisfied with them last year," said College senior Paige Greenlee.