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CYRIDE

CAMPUS

A bumpy road ahead CyRide struggles with capacity, finances By Matthew.Rezab @iowastatedaily.com Increased enrollment and decreased revenue have conspired to force CyRide to look to the city of Ames, Iowa State and the Government of the Student Body for budget solutions. The shortfall is due to a change in federal law declaring how money for public transportation is allocated. “The earmarks are now gone,” said Sheri Kyras, transit director for city of Ames. “We have a new transportation bill that does not have any discretionary money for us.” CyRide received around $4 million in federal operating assistance between the 2013 and 2014 fiscal years, Kyras said. The funding was governed by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Transportation Equity Act. The act was signed into law in 2005 and provided funds for public ground transportation until Congress replaced the law in 2012.

The current law, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, has essentially phased out CyRide’s federal funding. Although MAP-21 expires at the end of December, Kyras does not see funding procedures changing anytime soon. The previous legislation was extended by Congress 10 times before it was replaced. “I’m assuming there will be another extention of MAP-21 [in December],” Kyras said. In 2013, CyRide received $3.49 million from GSB and $1.45 from a tax levy on the city of Ames. Kyras said the Ames Transit Board reviews the CyRide budget each fall. “We give them the current level of service [cost] at next year’s prices,” Kyras said. “We give them options to make the system better, then they decide which scenario they want to fund.” The Ames Transit Board also met with representatives from Iowa State and the GSB on Aug. 4 to discuss the problem. “We’re working with those representatives to discuss creative solutions,” said Hillary Kletscher, president of GSB. “There is some conversation about bus routes, the number of buses and about

future expansion.” Official proposals have not yet been made by Iowa State, GSB or the transit board, but Kletscher is recommending a student fee increase to keep up with demand. “Not by a substantial amount, but really more for an inflationary amount,” she said. The swelling concern is also attributed to the growing demand for CyRide services due to a larger student body. Iowa State is expected to announce enrollment has climbed to over 34,000 students when the official numbers are released next week. “At a time when federal dollars are being cut back, our ridership had grown dramatically,” Kyras said. “We saw a 12.3 percent increase last year alone.” The 12 percent increase represents 725,000 more rides provided in 2013 than the previous year. Kyras expects an increase of 250,00 to 300,000 more rides in 2014. CyRide has made efforts this year to deal with the demand and to combat overcrowded or delayed service. Ten used buses were purchased this year from the St. Paul, Minn., transit system

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GSB denies bike share prototype program By Makayla.Tendall @iowastatedaily.com Whether or not hundreds of bikes would be added to the traffic on campus as part of the GSB bike share program was the main topic of Wednesday’s Government of the Student Body meeting. The Senate debated a bill that would provide additional money to fund the bike share prototype program that would allow the development of bike prototypes. The Senate considered funding an additional $7,477.39 to the almost $5,500 already spent funding the project. As it stands, a class devoted to developing prototypes of the bike share program allows industrial, mechanical and electrical engineering students to have hands-on training on developing prototypes. Community and regional planning students also work in the class to determine whether or not the university and the city can support the program. Senators’ main concerns centered on the idea that the funding for the program has been rushed. Many called for more research on whether or not students would use the program and if the university, with its existing mass of students, could support the extra traffic. GSB President Hillary Kletscher assured senators that university administrators and Ames city officials will be doing their own studies on whether or not the university and city can sustain a bike project. “Don’t let that hold you back from funding a project that a lot of students are invested in,” said Kletscher about the infrastructure. “Don’t let that hold you back from funding a project that would be very unique for the university. Why not try it?” Despite Kletscher’s appeal to the Senate, the bill failed to pass and might be discussed again next semester.

VOLLEYBALL

Conaway and Harris make hopes a reality By Max.Dible @iowastatedaily.com Freshman Alexis Conaway jogged onto the volleyball court in Hilton Coliseum on Friday evening, taking the last few steps of a journey to Iowa State that was two years in the making. “I decided to come here two years ago and from then on I’ve just been waiting and watching,” Conaway said. “I’ve waited so long and now I’m here.” ISU head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch and her staff took notice of Conaway and began recruiting her early in her high school career at MOC-Floyd Valley in Orange City, Iowa. Conaway was one of the best female athletes in Iowa throughout her high school career, winning state titles in volleyball and track as well as first-team all-state honors in volleyball and basketball among other accolades. Conaway said that after her recruitment began, she became an avid ISU volleyball fan, traveling roughly three hours each way on numerous occasions to spectate and to dream. “I had been in the stands the last couple of years watching and hoping and dreaming and waiting,” Conaway said. “When that moment finally came, it was so cool. I loved it.” Conaway said one of the best parts about the experience was interacting with the crowd, which numbered more than 2,700 people. “It was a bit of a mental overload,” Conaway said. “There are

so many things going on but ultimately when you get on the court everything kind of melts away and you zone in on the game.” Focusing through the intensity and enormity of such an important moment in her life was crucial for Conaway as she has been asked to contribute immediately and expectations for her are high among fans and coaches. “Conaway is a fantastic athlete who is still figuring some things out,” Johnson-Lynch said. “But she can do some things physically that few people can do.” Conaway was not the only freshman contributor making her debut in the team’s home opener against the then No. 3 Stanford, which is currently listed as No. 2 in the country. Monique Harris also saw action in her first ever regular season match as a Cyclone and talked about the day leading up to it. “That day going to school I was really nervous,” Harris said. “It was the most nervous I’ve ever been for anything before in my life.” Harris said that the routine of the locker room and interacting with her teammates helped to calm her down, but the emotion came flooding back as soon as she hit the court for warm ups. “I felt a rush seeing all the people standing up and cheering as [I] ran out,” Harris said. “The support you get and the excitement they have to see you is really cool.” Like Conaway, Harris said that once the match began she

Brian Mozey/Iowa State Daily

Setter Monique Harris sets the ball for outside hitter Alexis Conaway. Harris had five assists and three digs against Florida State on Sunday. Harris and Conaway are both new to the team this season, and both are excited to finally be playing volleyball as Cyclones.

was not really thinking anything except about how to contribute as effectively and efficiently as she could. The young ISU team struggled in its first contest without former libero and leader Kristen Hahn but had moments of brilliance, the most evident of which came in a multi-point run in

the second set after Stanford trounced Iowa State through the first half of the match. The Cyclones dug out their most productive showing in the third and final set of the night but still came up short, losing 25-19. Ultimately, Iowa State fell 3-0 to one of the best teams in the country, but Harris said the

experience was memorable and meaningful all the same. “It might not be the outcome we wanted, but it was nice getting that game out of the way,” Harris said. “It was great ... playing in front of people who really care about you and doing what you love to do in a great atmosphere with a bunch of great fans.”