At the Jan. 21 meeting, the Government of the Student Body created a new committee to focus on solving problems with campus transportation, specifically how it relates to the bike share program.

After members of GSB recognized problems with traffic and transportation around campus and especially on Osborn Drive, the Transportation Committee was created and will meet bi-weekly for eight weeks.

Members will gather information and opinions from faculty, administration and students to see if they would like to see GSB reconsider supporting a bike share program that could alleviate traffic around campus. The committee will also look to see how to solve issues created with traffic and CyRide routes if a bike share program was implemented.

Mechanical engineering, industrial design and community and regional planning students took up the bike share program in a 300-level industrial design class after GSB decided not to fund it last fall. Since then, a 70-page feasibility study report was completed.

One of the reasons GSB decided not to fund the program last semester was because a feasibility study had not been completed. Transportation Committee members will be able to see the report soon and determine whether or not to support the program.

At the end of the eight weeks, the committee will provide a report of their findings to the Senate for review. Senators Abbie Lang and Austin Thielmann, along with Vice Speaker of the Senate Dan Breitbarth, were seated on the committee.

President Hillary Kletscher also delivered her State of the Student Body address, outlining the upcoming goals she wishes to accomplish for the next semester and updating the Senate on the improvements made last semester.

“When reflecting on the academic year so far, I thought of the Government of the Student Body’s Mission Statement: ‘to serve students and improve the student experience through advocacy and empowerment,’” Kletscher said. “What have we done? What are we planning to do? And where else can we serve the student body?”

At the end of last semester, GSB created  a list of three things they asked the administration to try to improve immediately to ease the strains of enrollment growth. On that list was expanding hours of operation and increasing staff at Thielen Student Health Center and Student Counseling Service, alleviate the long lines at testing centers and addressing the need for more parking and less traffic on campus.

Finance Director Abhijit Patwa and Sen. Evan Abramsky met with the administration and a consulting firm to determine how to expand the Student Health Center. The Student Health Center has already expanded hours and hired additional staff.

To decrease the time spent waiting in lines at testing centers, there are restrictions on classes that can use testing centers during the spring semester. There is also a testing schedule matrix to make sure too many classes don’t offer tests at the centers at the same time. 

Davidson Hall along Osborn Drive will also be demolished and there are plans to have it serve as a parking area. Kletscher said she has also “been advocating for the hiring of a consultant to address the conundrums that Osborn Drive presents and I believe we will see that happen this spring.” 

“What we achieve the rest of the semester is up to us. We determine our outlooks, attitudes and action. I am choosing collaboration and I hope you will all join me,” Kletscher told the Senate.