Calcado discusses parking permit prices, potential light rail at RUSA town hall

On Thursday, the Rutgers University Student Assembly held a town hall with Antonio Calcado, the University's executive vice president and chief operating officer, and the executive leaders of Rutgers' Institutional Planning and Operations (IP&O) department.

Faizali Rahim, a School of Engineering senior and the Assembly's university affairs chair, introduced Calcado, who gave a presentation about IP&O's mission and goals.

"Our tagline, and it always has been, is 'Supporting today and envisioning tomorrow,'" Calcado said. "So, what we do is take care of the issues that are happening around the campuses today, while we're planning for what the campuses may look like tomorrow and, operationally, how we can make an advanced University as a whole."

After speaking about the roles and responsibilities of each IP&O unit, Calcado discussed recent accomplishments and ongoing projects.

He spoke about sustainability efforts, such as the installation of solar panel farms, which generated an additional 15 megawatts this year, according to Calcado. He also said IP&O is undergoing a transition to electric vehicles and recently purchased five electric buses for Rutgers—Newark in partnership with the state.

The department is also focusing on campus security, Calcado said. IP&O added approximately 156 blue light emergency phones and is working toward securing doors in academic buildings, he said.

Calcado, along with IP&O executive leadership, then opened the town hall to a public Q&A forum, where they answered questions regarding campus facilities, transportation and public safety.

Destiny Rosales, a School of Environmental and Biological Sciences sophomore and the Assembly's student affairs chair, asked why there is a difference in prices between commuter and residential parking permits, especially considering the lots' locations and availability.

Henry Velez, the vice president of IP&O's business services, said that permit rates fluctuate depending on campus and location to prevent unnecessary parking. He also said the University is looking to implement an app that will allow users to track availability in parking lots and decks.

Calcado additionally discussed bus ridership pre- and post-pandemic. He said that IP&O saw success prior to the pandemic, with a 14 percent decrease in ridership, but new sites of traffic can be attributed to ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, as well as food delivery services like GrubHub.

"It almost reminds me a little bit of Manhattan, where they say it's the slowest system in America. It's like eight miles an hour is the average in Manhattan," Calcado said. "And that's kind of like the glide path we're on until we can figure out how can we fix this problem. And mass transit … has to be the solution."

Adam Halperin, a Rutgers Business School first-year and a College Avenue campus representative for the Assembly, asked Calcado whether IP&O intends to add air conditioning to older residence halls, citing discomfort during periods of high temperatures.

Calcado said that the plan exists but will be completed in stages over several years, as the buildings are not usable while the air conditioning systems are being installed.

Sean Firat, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore and a School of Arts and Sciences Class of 2026 representative for the Assembly, asked about any updates to the implementation of a light rail system in Middlesex County after legislation allocated $10 million for the project in 2018.

Firat said that the Camden and Newark campuses have functioning light rail systems and that a light rail system for the greater New Brunswick area could feasibly be built and is projected to have high ridership rates according to a 2001 study.

Calcado said discussions around the proposed light rail are still in progress, but he is not aware of the status of the project due to its county-wide scope.

He then concluded the town hall and said the University community should contact him and other IP&O leaders with thoughts or concerns.

"We are far from perfect, and you are our eyes and our ears. You are our critics and our supporters, and all of that is okay. We have no issue with that because we are here to serve you at the end of the day, right?" Calcado said. "We are here to make your experience that much better while you're here at Rutgers University. Again, we are far from perfect. So, we just ask that you work with us."