OUR VIEWS Consensus Opinion

Tech administrators have once again made a crucial change without soliciting student opinion or making news of the change public. This time the culprit is Parking and Transportation, which has limited the use of the Stingerette service to within the boundaries of campus.

The Stingerette has long operated under the rule of thumb of traveling to areas within one mile from campus. Under this policy, many Homepark residents came to depend on the service to get home after late nights on campus. Students using MARTA late at night also depended on the Stingerette to transport them safely past the questionable areas that separate the transit stations from campus.

Now, with no warning or notice, that service has been cut off from those very people who need it most.

According to the description of the Stingerette on the Parking and Transportation website, "[The] Stingerette is for safe, after hours travel from academic buildings and living accommodations within the service area." By cutting service to off-campus locations, Parking and Transportation staff have affected the areas with the greatest safety concerns.

The annual Campus Safety Walks and the police presence have kept the confines of the Institute relatively crime-free, but the surrounding areas still reflect the reality of Tech's location in a major metropolis.

Understandably, Parking and Transportation needs to operate the service within certain funding and staffing restrictions. However, cutting off Stingerette service to Tech's immediate environs negates its stated purpose of ensuring student safety, as students have come to rely on the service for safe transport.

Bob Furniss, director of Parking and Transportation, said that students living in Homepark need to consider the costs of transportation when deciding to move off-campus, but many students do not have the option of living in school housing due to limited space.

Parking and Transportation should strive to find alternatives that do not put students at risk while still maintaining a balanced budget and efficient service. It is not too late for the department to consider options such as soliciting student drivers, establishing set routes or designating limited off-campus locations for pick-up and drop-off. The department can look towards the many universities around the nation that offer similar programs for more ideas on how to deal with high demand, long wait times and a limited budget.

No matter what happens though, the student body should be informed of any changes that affect our safety.