TRAVERSE CITY — Parking is limited at Northwestern Michigan College, but talks to alleviate the problem with additional bus service for students and faculty are stuck in neutral.
NMC and Bay Area Transportation Authority officials this spring discussed options for a bus service to connect NMC campuses in the region. BATA submitted a draft proposal and contract.
"We came up with a detailed plan, and there was a sense of urgency," said Tom Menzel, BATA's executive director. "We were hoping to go before the board on May 23."
The proposal never was presented to the board, and Menzel said talks have stalled.
John Parker, NMC's interim executive director of public relations, said talks were conceptual in nature and the college was unable to pursue the idea.
"Several campuses are already on BATA routes. There was some conversation about the possibility of an expanded partnership, but the timing wasn't right on it," Parker said, citing budget talks and staffing considerations. "It wasn't in the cards at the time, but that's not to preclude future talks."
The proposal called for BATA to launch six additional buses to travel a new fixed route linking NMC campuses. BATA proposed that the college pay $48 per bus pass each semester for participating students and faculty, who then would be able to ride all of BATA's fixed routes at no charge.
The contract drafted by BATA also would require the college to charge a fee to park on campus. The amount would be determined by the college but would be "high enough to encourage use of the BATA bus service."
"If you have parking areas, you've got to charge enough to make it interesting to use public transit," Menzel said.
Parking is limited at NMC's main campus as enrollment continues to grow. The college had a record-breaking spring semester, with 5,193 students enrolled -- a 1 percent jump from the same period in 2010. NMC broke enrollment records every semester since fall 2008, though 2011's fall semester enrollment could drop, based on current projections.
To handle the rising number of students, the college implemented a temporary parking lot before 2010's fall semester by spreading gravel across a softball field in the center of the campus. It was considered a one-year fix to create an additional 300 temporary parking spaces, and cost NMC $38,000.
The college is now looking to extend the temporary lot until the end of 2011 to accommodate fall semester parking, when Parker said they face the biggest parking crunch.
Traverse City's planning commission will discuss the extension at its Tuesday meeting, said city planner Russ Soyring.
"The college is dealing with increases in their numbers, and they need to figure out a way to get people to campus," Soyring said. "These are high-concentrated areas for employment and activity, and if students arrive and leave by other means than single-occupied motor vehicles, it would take the pressure off."
NMC President Tim Nelson said the college will be examining its parking system closely this year.
"We'll have a process this year to look at long-term parking needs," Nelson said. "Certainly if I had my druthers, I'd like to see more mass transit."
NMC isn't the first school to discuss transportation options with BATA. Suttons Bay Public Schools last year eliminated busing to cut costs, and BATA stepped in to provide transportation for district students with seven new public routes. Suttons Bay pays for BATA tickets for students who choose to ride those buses.
The Alexandria, Va.-based National School Transportation Association, which advocates for school bus manufacturers and private transportation contractors, filed a complaint this spring with the Federal Transit Administration challenging the arrangement. A ruling is expected soon.
Menzel said the Suttons Bay routes are successful, and have spurred interest from other groups, like NMC.
"Before Suttons Bay, they used to stay away from BATA," he said. "Now they're thinking, 'We have a problem, maybe BATA can help solve it.' They think of us as a solution rather than a problem."
