"His performance in office is
more important than his mili
tary service."
Bill Howe
Communications
"It's important, but not as
important as a good head of
Stacey Myers
Communications
"It's important if we go too
war because it will help with
military decisions."
Eric Nelson
Public Policy
"I don't think it's that impor
tant. We had three generals as
presidents and I don't think
they did too well."
Melanie Wagner
Communications
"It's pretty important. It
would show his leadership
qualities."
Trucks on campus raise safety concern
Administrative ideas call for trucks to be re-routed
Slow tractor-trailers will not prevent students
from making it to class on time anymore; at
least not for students who are still here in five to
10 years. That is about how long it will take
PennDOT to do a survey on truck traffic on and
around Penn State Harrisburg, and determine
where to build a new road directing trucks to the
highway and away from the campus.
Efforts to make the campus safer are part of
the school's Master Plan, according to Ed
Dankanich, director of Business Services. The
goal of the Master Plan, a development of the
Harrisburg campus and University Park's
Office of Physical Plant, is to predict what the
campus will look like in 10 years and how many
students the school will have.
"It's a 'what if game," Dankanich said. "Our
number one priority right now is to get rid of the
tractor-trailers. We're looking for relocations to
move the tractor-trailers another way other than
through campus."
The school is part of a team of local business
es including Jednota (located across from
Meade Heights), Harrisburg International
Airport, the trucking outfit, PennDOF, Lower
Swatara legislators, Dauphin County
Commissioners, and the Harrisburg Chamber of
Commerce. Together, they are looking at how
the trucks get into the area and possibilities of
how to re-route them. At this point, consultants
need to be brought in to do a study.
Dankanich said lots of progress is being made,
but the idea has to be put on PennDOT's
lengthy list of road improvements, which is
why it will take five to 10 years, . PennDOT
runs on a cycle and a project has to enter the
cycle before it is started. After a study is done
and a plan is determined, financial implications
can be considered. The cost will be split among
the campus, PennDOT and the other businesses
involved.
When the Air Force left the area, it sold the
space to Penn State and the surrounding ware
houses. College Avenue was originated as the
main access to both. The trucking companies
and PSH share an adjacent landowner agree
ment. They have to work together to come up
with a solution.
"The trucking companies pay 50 percent of the
road maintenance on College Avenue,"
Dankanich said. "They cover a share of snow
removal and the cost of the traffic light."
By DEB MASSIC
Staff Reporter
The trucking company has made no formal
complaints about sharing the road. No acci
dents involving trucks and cars have been
reported in the last seven years, according to the
campus Chief of Police, Kevin Stoehr, but there
have been complaints.
"We get complaints from time to time from
students, faculty, and staff, so we try to slow the
trucks down," Stoehr said. "We've issued cita
tions. When someone makes a complaint, we
look into it."
Some students see the project as unnecessary
because the trucks do not cause any major prob
lems, other than slowing them down on their
way to campus. Others see potential for acci
dents.
"I think it'll be safer if they build a separate
road," said Julie Mackey, communications. "A
truck almost ran me over the other day. It's not
safe, especially with more kids walking around
next year."
"It's a good idea," said Lora Gloetzner, mar
keting. "Whenever you're turning left at the
light (Main Street and College Avenue), they
run you over."
One main cause of concern is that students
have to cross College Avenue to get to the
Educational Activities Building, and Meade
Heights. Dankanich said the issue at hand is
safety,
"I had a class in the Educational Activities
Building last semester and it was impossible to
cross the street," Gloetzner said. "You had to
run. The trucks would never stop, only cars."
The team working on the project met monthly
this summer and had their last meeting about
four months ago. They plan to meet quarterly.
PennDOT mentioned the plan on a list of proj
ects at a public meeting this summer.
"Our goal is to get it done as soon as possible,"
Dankanich said. "But it may take a few years."
"It would be very beneficial not to have to
worry about truck traffic at all," Stoehr said. "A
college campus really isn't a place for tractor
trailers, especially such a heavy flow."
Other items in the Master Plan to be finished
more immediately are finishing the classrooms
in the basement, home of the former Lion's
Den. The arrangement of the rooms and what
classes will go down there is still being decided,
according to Dankanich. Sprinklers are also
being installed in the Capitol Union Building.
An 18-wheeler,
enroute to a delivery,
passes by Olmsted.
PSH Administration is
working with
PennDOT on ideas
that will divert the
trucks away from cam
pus allowing less traf
fic on the roads lead
ing to the parking lots.
Photo by Jennifer Kauffman