Some Penn State faculty and staff members are concerned with a recent plan to restrict driving on campus.

The tentative plan, which might limit on-campus access for cars, is the first of several steps that will make Penn State a more pedestrian-friendly campus. The plan might be ready for public announcement at the end of the semester, said Paul Ruskin, Office of Physical Plant spokesman. William Ames, a network coordinator in the Earth & Engineering Sciences building, said the busy lifestyles of faculty would be hindered by a restriction of vehicles.

"The faculty is constantly running around," he said. Ames, who works on the west side of campus, said he often makes deliveries on campus and the vehicle limitation would affect his ability to complete these tasks.

Ames said faculty and staff do not have more privileges than students when it comes to on-campus vehicular activity. He added that because faculty and staff can work during summer break, they would be more affected by the restrictions.

"We're always here," he said.

Ames said people who work for the university should be kept in mind.

"The faculty and staff need to be involved in this decision-making process," he said.

Ruskin said it was important to have a discussion between the public and those involved with the decision to restrict on-campus driving.

"We definitely want to get a widespread discussion and input from all members of the university community. That's very important," he said. Ames mentioned a previous occasion when the administration took the staff's response into consideration. At that time, he was required to get to his office from his parking space near Eisenhower Auditorium each day, he said. The staff argued for parking closer to EES, and a lot was built.

"I was surprised at the level of response," he said. Ruskin said that because the plan is still being developed, it is too soon to know any specifics. He said the plan is being discussed with the Centre Area Transportation Authority. Some changes to the CATA system within campus might occur, he said. Ruskin said one of the things the plan might change is the route CATA buses take through campus. He said the plan might condense some pick-up and drop-off locations, and it might involve construction.

"We're looking at creating special areas where we would change the curbs and they would actually pull off the road so they would not interrupt traffic behind them," he said. Eric Bernier, CATA director of service development, said CATA is fully supporting Penn State's efforts to make campus more pedestrian friendly. He said CATA supports this plan because it wants to make its buses more efficient.

"We're in a position that because of traffic on campus, it's costing us much more to provide the same service that we were providing a couple of years ago," Bernier said. He said by the time a Campus Loop bus travels from Pollock Road down Shortlidge Road to College Avenue during a busy time between classes, the bus should have made a complete loop around campus.

Bernier said the plan was important to CATA because it could improve its ability to provide dependable and timely service.

"The more pedestrian friendly the environment is, the more likely the chances are that we can make and maintain a schedule we can stick to," Bernier said.