Board says more phones for SafeRider too costly

Even though Pitt’s Student Government Board found $60,000 in its coffers last year to spend on… Even though Pitt’s Student Government Board found $60,000 in its coffers last year to spend on 10 fiberglass panther statues, the board announced last night that it would not be chipping in student money to fund improvements to the SafeRider system.

No extra phone lines or vehicles will be added to improve SafeRider even though it could help relieve overburdened workers operating on a single phone line.

SGB member Nila Devanath said that in discussions with transportation officials, she learned the funding for these improvements would have to come from the Student Activities Fee.

Devanath said that the $185,000 pricetag of those improvements is a “huge chunk” of that fee, so instead, she hopes to promote more effective communication between SafeRider workers and students.

“There’s not much we can do with the money aspect,” she said.

She announced that reports about how students can better understand the SafeRider system will be available on SafeRider buses soon.

Devanath said she learned that the University can’t mark shuttle stops with a symbol such as a panther paw, because the city is trying to reduce the amount of signs.

After receiving an e-mail about several muggings near Oak Hill apartments, Devanath said that SGB is looking into options to promote student safety there.

She said about five Pitt students have been mugged – including one while a student was walking to class at 9 a.m.

One idea was to send every third 10A shuttle to Oak Hill, which is located near the Fitzgerald Field House on upper campus.

SGB Notes