NU Link shuttle poll results in

The poll posted on NU Link in late January gathering student feedback about a Saturday downtown Chicago shuttle was released yesterday at the Associated Student Government meeting.

The ASG external relations committee first took interest in creating a weekend downtown shuttle when the Student-Community Relations Taskforce met in the fall and believed there was a connection between excessive alcohol consumption and the lack of entertainment in Evanston. From its meeting with university services, the committee has found the cost per quarter to operate a Saturday shuttle for eight hours (from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a two-hour gap) to cost $6554.80. The committee expects 25 students to use the shuttle on a one-way trip, which would cost make the cost per passenger $3.28. This cost per trip is higher than using the El, and so the committee would like the university to contribute funding so students wouldn't have to pay more to use the proposed shuttle. The committee also wants to run a test pilot program as early as spring.

The following was taken from the report:

ASG is discussing whether or not operating an Intercampus Shuttle to Chicago on Saturdays would be beneficial for students. Currently, students wishing to visit Chicago on weekends must resort to other forms of public transportation, and in January the CTA is prepared to increase train fares for the El up to $3.25 per ride. Your responses to this short poll will help us decide if we should pursue operating an Intercampus on Saturdays.

2481 responses to the poll as of 2008-02-19 10:49.

1. Would you use the intercampus if it were offered on Saturdays?
   Yes - 98.47%
   No - 1.53%
   
   
2. How many times a quarter do you go into Chicago on Saturday?
   0 - 3.55%
   1-2 - 23.98%
   3-4 - 36.11%
   5+ - 36.36%
   
   
3. How many times a quarter would you use a Saturday?
   0 - 1.98%
   1-2 - 13.74%
   3-4 - 36.28%
   5+ - 48%
   
   
4. Would you go into Chicago more often if it were offered on Saturdays?
   Yes - 98.39%
   No - 1.61%
   
   
5. Please check times for which you would like an inbound route (to Chicago):
   12 pm - 80.13%
   2 pm - 82.31%
   4 pm - 77.27%
   6 pm - 75.65%
   8 pm - 62.19%
   10 pm - 47%
   
   
6. Please check times for which you would like an outbound route (from Chicago):
   1 pm - 36.44%
   3 pm - 53.53%
   5 pm - 73.4%
   7 pm - 78.19%
   9 pm - 84.04%
   11 pm - 84.6%
   1 am - 74.2%
   
   
7. What is the maximum you would be willing to pay per one-way ride?
   $0 - 14.79%
   $1 - 30.35%
   $2 - 42.89%
   $3+ - 10.8%
   
   
8. It is possible that a Saturday could stop at other Chicago locations besides the Ward Building. Please select the attractions in Chicago where you would like the bus to stop:
   Navy Pier - 52.16%
   Millenium Park - 76.62%
   North Michigan Avenue (Water Tower) - 75.17%
   South Michigan Avenue (Wrigley Building, Riverfront) - 45.55%
   Museum Campus (Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium) - 66.38%
   Other attractions: (write-in) - 11.21%

—ALICE TRUONG

Transportation poll ready for students on NU Link

UPDATE! Apparently, this issue is gaining steam.  Facebook now has a group dedicated to the voting on the Chicago shuttle.  There is only one member in there as of 8:40 p.m. today.

UPDATE! It's 1:26 a.m., and NU Link has the new poll up.  I'm not exactly sure how long it's been up, but I did write a previous post about three hours ago pointing out it wasn't up.  Also, considering how there have only been two people who voted on the poll, it probably hasn't been up for too long.  (Most students probably aren't on NU Link at this hour on a weekend.)  Anyway, the poll asks the following nine questions:

1. Would you use the intercampus if it were offered on Saturdays?
   
2. How many times a quarter do you go into Chicago on Saturday?
   
3. How many times a quarter would you use a Saturday Intercampus?
   
4. Would you go into Chicago more often if it were offered on Saturdays?
   
5. Please check times for which you would like an inbound route (to Chicago):
   
6. Please check times for which you would like an outbound route (from Chicago):
   
7. What is the maximum you would be willing to pay per one-way ride?
   
8. It is possible that a Saturday Intercampus could stop at other Chicago locations besides the Ward Building. Please select the attractions in Chicago where you would like the bus to stop:
   
9. Do you have any other comments?
   

After you vote, you'll see the number of students who have voted and the percentage of students who voted for each answer.

—ALICE TRUONG

Transportation poll still not up

UPDATE! There have been talks in Associated Student Government since the beginning of the quarter about posting a transportation poll in NU Link to find out how students would feel about having a weekend Chicago shuttle.  After the second ASG meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 16, the external relations committee chairwoman said a poll would be up the next day.  During the third ASG meeting the week after, Wednesday, Jan. 23, it was announced the poll would be up during that week.  It's currently Saturday night at about 10 p.m., and there still is no transportation poll on NU Link.  

According to a former Daily ASG reporter, a few polls last year weren't up and running when they were supposed to.  Because ASG relies on its technology director to post the polls, the date the polls go up on the Web site is at the discretion of the director.  So, for example, if the director was particularly busy with his/her other responsibilities, the poll could be delayed.

—ALICE TRUONG

Tracking ASG for Winter Quarter

The Daily is working to create an ASG tracker project, in essence noting every proposal for Winter Quarter and every time there's an update to it.  Hopefully, the Northwestern community will be able to easily access information in an easy-to-consume format.

For the time being, there is a simple list.  In due time, this will turn into something more comprehensive.

ASG meeting 1: Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008

• ASG President Jon Webber's executive board obligations.  There will be three responsibilities for each of the 12 executive board members for the quarter.  (The progress for this will probably be tracked separately.)
  
• ASG Clerk James D'Angelo working for "political freedom" on campus, as Senate Speaker Jesse Garfinkel described it at the meeting.  The Communication junior has been working with the Internal Revenue System and the General Counsel to try to allow students and student groups to assemble and endorse political candidates using university resources.
  
• Neal Sales-Griffin and senator reliability.  The SESP junior wants to increase communication between senators and their constituents.
  
• Steve Eilers and the external relations committee pushing to create a Web site for off-campus housing reviews.
  
• RHA wanting to sponsor more community-oriented events, such as firesides.
  
• External relations committee working to create a weekend Chicago shuttle to deter excessive drinking as a result of lack of entertainment options.
  

ASG meeting 2: Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008

• (Update 1 on Shuttles) The external relations committee was going to present a bill to Senate to put up a poll on NU Link to gauge student interest for the shuttle.  Because of scheduling conflicts, which senators later learned to be caused by sorority rush, the external relations committee didn't meet before the Senate meeting.  Thus, there was no bill to present at the meeting.  External relations committee Chairwoman Kate Pascale said a bill isn't needed for polls, and it was only done in the past as an extension of senatorial courtesy. Pascale also told The Daily that evening the poll would be posted the following day, Thursday, Jan. 17, but as of now, the only thing resembling a poll on NU Link's home page is a dated survey about student satisfaction with university services.
  

The above also provides a nice synopsis of the previous two meetings.  There was no Daily story that ran last Thursday detailing the meeting because editors didn't feel it would fill 10 inches (which is about 500 words).  From here on after, ASG reporting will focus more on blogging, but stories will still run when Senate does something particularly noteworthy. 

In addition to tracking bills/ideas presented during Senate meetings, The Daily hopes to track senator attendance and Webber's executive board goals.  Keep checking this blog for updates on all these different ASG trackers.

—ALICE TRUONG