A recent survey has revealed most students know very little aboutthe approaching trolley project, prompting university officials totake an active stance to educate students.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” said communication freshmanTamara Caoile.
On Friday, the university celebrated the official start of trolleyconstruction, yet a recent survey of 324 students conducted by SanDiego State University’s social sciences research lab concluded thatmost students aren’t informed about the trolley, which will be makingits way to campus in four years.
University officials have hired the public relations firm Martsonand Martson to inform students about the incoming construction.
“That’s really what our goal is,” said Jack Beresford, SDSU’sdirector of marketing and communications. “Let people know what’sgoing to be happening and when it’s going to be happening and givethem alternatives — use this path instead of that one, don’t park inthis lot that day — news that you can use.”
According to the survey almost 90 percent of students said theywere not informed enough.
“I heard a little bit about it,” said Jon Cradduck, internationalbusiness freshman. “I know it’s going to be a big project and theschool is really big on it.”
“Education on Track” is the name that has been picked for theinformational campaign to keep the campus and the college areainformed about the Metropolitan Transit Development Board trolleyextension project.
“Welike that because it has obviously a little bit of a double meaning,”Beresford said. “It’s an education program with regards to thecampus, but it also refers to the mission of the university which iseducation and bringing more people to campus and getting theminvolved.”
Many students said they are looking forward to the trolley,although most of them won’t be students when it opens in late 2004.
“I think it’s very beneficial,” said William Goertz, internationalbusiness junior. “I think it can only be positive in the long runbecause traffic here, especially in the morning, gets really hecticand the trolley will accommodate a lot of people. I can only seepositives coming out of all of this.”
Almost 50 percent of students surveyed said they felt the trolleywill not impact them personally when it’s completed.
More than 55 percent, said they are very concerned about fewerparking spaces on campus during construction.
“I think that there’s always going to be some problems,” saidFrancisco Lopez, international business senior. “But the benefitswill come in the long run.”
SDSU facilities planning and management director Tony Fulton saidmajor construction will not begin until Parking Structure VI on theeast side of campus is completed, to help offset parking problems thetrolley construction will cause.
PS VI and the adjacent residence hall, Cuicacalli, are scheduledto be completed next fall.
More than 50 percent of the students surveyed said more parkingspaces during construction is one positive aspect coming out of thetrolley construction.
“It will probably be economically beneficial for people because ofthe rising cost of parking — parking is very expensive,” Goertzsaid.
The San Diego Transit System has a student semester pass for $98compared to an adult monthly pass of $50.
“Our semester passes and our
college monthly passes are for the buses and the trolley,” saidSuzanne Forte, MTDB marketing intern. “It’s a huge discount for SDSUstudents.”
Construction on a 15-foot sound wall made of plywood and anoise-deadening core to surround Adams Humanities will begin Dec. 18.The structure will be built to curb construction noise. Also, thethird and fourth floor windows will be double glazed for soundprotection.
Fulton said the trolley station will be built 50 feet underneathwhere Aztec Walk is located, and is expected to bring more than 2,000people to campus daily.
An expanded bus terminal will also be located on the southside ofthe station near the current bus terminal.
The trolley will enter Lot X from the west, travel southunderneath Aztec Circle Drive, curve east to connect with theunderground trolley station at Aztec Walk and continue underneathCollege Avenue emerging at the same level near Parking Structure I.
The trolley is expected to be completed by December 2004.
