GAPSA to call for expanded Escort

A group of graduate student leaders will push for Escort Service to be extended to Center City in the wake of the downtown murders of two students this summer, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly Chairperson Michael Goldstein said yesterday. GAPSA, the Graduate Student Associations Council and several graduate school governments passed resolutions in the spring calling for expanded Escort Service. But Goldstein said the August 10 shooting of Robert Janke, a 22-year-old student in the College of General Studies, at 17th and South streets and the murder of English student Tae Jung Ho August 22 near Walnut and 22nd streets make the issue more urgent. Goldstein said eventually he would like to see Escort Service serve Center City so students can return to campus in the evening if they need to. Goldstein said a growing population of graduate students living across the Schuylkill River need a safe way to travel back and forth from the University. He said 2000 students could be served if the existing shuttle service was extended to Broad Street -- six blocks beyond the current boundary. Goldstein said he knows of some students who leave campus by 5 p.m. because they don't want to have to walk across the Walnut Street Bridge alone at night. "It adversely affected their academics," Goldstein said. The Office of Off-Campus Living said yesterday that in the 1990-1991 academic year, approximately 1800 undergraduate and graduate students lived in Center City. And Eleni Zatz, the director of the office, said yesterday that her office and local realtors have noticed an increase even since last year. "[We] have a sense that more people are moving across the river," Zatz said. Senior Vice President Marna Whittington said yesterday new safety programs are always considered by the University Council Safety and Security Committee. "The question is what does the community want? What fills the most needs?" Whittington said. She added money is not an overriding concern. Rather, she said the University will make an effort to provide transportation that fills the greatest need. "At some point I have to say maybe when a student chooses their off-campus housing they need to consider the transportation that is available if that is something they need," Whittington said. "There is a limit." Biochemistry Professor Emeritus Adelaide Delluva, who chairs the Safety and Security Committee, said the members will consider expansion of transportation services this year. "In view of what has been happening, I think we need to look at this carefully," Delluva said. It currently picks up students at five locations on campus and provides drop-off service east of the Schuylkill River bound by Market, South and 20th Streets. Goldstein said he would like the name of the Green Safety Shuttle changed so that it explicitly explains that it provides limited drop-off service in parts of Center City. The University's Department of Transportation and Parking has already expanded hours and increased the number of on-campus pick-up sites. Stephen Carey, the assistant director of transportation and parking, said yesterday the service already meets the needs of students living in the designated area. Carey said the drivers have considerable leeway to drop students at their door as long as they have time before their next scheduled campus pick-up and provided there are not too many students on board. "The driver will make every attempt to get you as close to your door as possible," Carey said. Escort Service has changed and expanded considerably since it began in 1972, when it was run by University Police. For example, ridership has increased dramatically over the years. Whittington said in the last two months alone, ridership increased 134 percent for the same period of last year. Goldstein, who is also on the Safety and Security Committee, said the shooting deaths of the two students partially encouraged his concern about the issue. However neither student was traveling to or from campus when the shootings occurred.

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