ASUM to decide on Russell reconstruction, class retake fee

The ASUM senate will take a position on Missoula’s controversial Russell street reconstruction project Wednesday, in addition to proposing a change to the University of Montana’s retake policy.
ASUM senator John Wilke is urging the senate to oppose the city’s preferred plan to reconstruct Russell Street in an effort to decrease traffic congestion in that area. The plan calls for a four-lane road, in addition to center turning lanes and raised medians, bike lanes, sidewalks and bus pullouts, according to the city’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement of the project. 
Wilke said ASUM has some stake in the project because a number of students live in neighborhoods in that area and many of them bike or walk to the university.
“It affects a lot of students directly on their way to and from school,” he said. 

Along with other Missoula residents, Wilke is concerned the new plan would endanger pedestrians and bicyclists, who would have to cross more traffic lanes. 
“Pedestrians really are screwed in some sense,” said senior Sean Schilke, who sits on the ASUM senate’s Relations and Affairs committee. 
There is also concern that the plan could affect the character of the surrounding neighborhoods.
“It would just make a huge, huge road right in the middle of Missoula,” Wilke said.
Wilke said the current plan would require 13 houses and two business complexes to be torn down, which he said would decrease the number of jobs and affordable housing in Missoula.
Wilke said his resolution would state that the ASUM senate supports “a more efficient bike and pedestrian-friendly three-lane system.”
One such alternative is the popular “3-Plus for Russell Street Plan,” also known as the Citizens’ Plan, which has already been endorsed by the ASUM Office of Transportation. According to its Web site, the plan calls for two travel lanes and a turning lane, as well as bike lanes and sidewalks. In addition, it would not require demolishing any buildings.
“That’s definitely a plus,” Wilke said.
However, Wilke said the resolution does not specifically endorse the 3-Plus Plan so that the senate won’t send out the message that it’s the only alternative they would support.
Wilke’s resolution passed the ASUM senate’s Relations and Affairs Committee Monday, although Schilke abstained from voting because he said he couldn’t fairly take a position, having missed part of the meeting.
He said that although a wider road could simply increase traffic flow in the area, he’s not sure that a three-lane road would be enough to compensate for traffic congestion. He said senators should make an informed decision since their support could have an effect on the city’s actions.
“I think they should carefully consider what they’re passing before they pass it,” Schilke said. 
ASUM senator Andrew Dusek, chair of the Relations and Affairs committee, said he supports the resolution because he thinks it’s possible to find an alternative.
“No matter what, it’s going to inconvenience some students,” he said.
The senate will also vote on a proposed change to the university’s class retake policy. The current policy states that if a student decides to take a particular class more than once, all grades received in that class will be used to calculate the student’s GPA unless he or she pays $100. Under the proposed policy, only the last grade a student receives in a course would be used in GPA calculation.
ASUM President Trevor Hunter said he wants the senate to take a stance on the retake policy early on. The structure of the policy will ultimately be left to the Faculty Senate and the Academic Standards and Curriculum Review Committee to decide. 
“Instead of taking a reactive role, we want to take a proactive role,” Hunter said.
Hunter, ASUM Vice President Siri Smillie and senator Jon Dempersmier will meet with Provost Royce Engstrom today to discuss the fee aspect of the retake policy.
allison.maier@umontana.edu