By
Mindy Jones
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Handicapped patrons not expected to be left out
UA basketball fans will have to find a new place to park when the Sun Tran buses discontinues its game service this season.
Many fans have relied on the service since the early '90s, when the shuttle company signed a contract with the city to provide area transportation during University of Arizona basketball games.
Dick Strayer, program coordinator with UA visitor parking and transportation, said the shuttle service was mandated to run the service on a break-even basis.
This requires the service to have enough riders and charge enough money to at least break even, he said.
When Sun Tran decided they couldn't provide the service at a reasonable price they informed the UA that they would be discontinuing their service before the basketball season began.
Phoebe Chalk, assistant athletics director said the UA really had no part in the negotiation process.
The athletic department searched for another provider, but couldn't find anyone who wanted to pick up the responsibility, she said.
Unlike the decision to decrease the amount of shuttle stops for UA football games which was made during the football season, Chalk added that the Sun Tran gave the UA enough notice regarding the discontinuation of their service.
"Sun Tran has to follow the rules that are set out for them," she said. "Since they gave us enough time to let our patrons know, I don't think it is going to cause us a problem."
While Chalk doesn't foresee a decrease in ticket sales resulting from the loss of transportation, Strayer doesn't foresee an increase in parking permits either.
There is adequate parking for fans within proximity of the McKale Center, Strayer said, and although the shuttle helped relieve congestion within the university, there are other parking opportunities available to them.
There are 15 to 20 parking lots that provide reserved parking for UA players and season ticket holders, spots released on game day for a fee, and parking set aside for the handicapped and disabled.
The latter was a concern for Annique Clemons, a business management freshman, who wondered how this was going to affect the disabled fans.
"I am sure it was easier for the handicapped people to get from their cars with the properly equipped shuttle," she said. "Even if they had to stop the shuttle they could have a specific shuttle to help them."
Strayer said these issues have been addressed and golf carts will be in the area to assist people as they see needed.
The Cherry Avenue garage also provides reserved handicapped parking on the second level to fans during game day, he said.
"The parking impact is going to be negligible," Strayer said. "Obviously we would prefer that the shuttle continue, but other arrangements are possible."
Sun Tran could not be reached for comment on the situation after repeated attempts.
