Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Green BY MARSHALL SWANSON Contributing Editor Green Street. The name is in nocuous enough. Just the sound of it conjures the image of a quiet tree-lined boulevard nestled in a residential neighborhood somewhere in middle America. But for students and ad ministrators at the University of South Carolina the mere mention of Green Street is likely to set off a series of charges and counter charges, recriminations and rebuttles. For Green Street, the basic east west artery that runs through the middle of the University campus, has been the bane of the school's existence for as long as most campus observers can remember. The issue is simple. The University wants Green Street between Sumter and Pickens Streets permanantly closed to traffic. The city wants it left open. According to Harold Brunton, vice-president for business affairs, the University and the city have been haggling over whether the street should be closed to traffic since 1961. That was the year the University hired Wilbur Smith and Associates, a Columbia engineering firm, to study traffic in an attempt to get city council to close the street. The study concluded that the street could be closed without bothering traffic and the Street: University requested council to close the street. Council refused. Twice since then over the years the University has moved formally to get Green Street closed. All at tempts have failed. The latest move to close the street came last spring when USC acted to persuade eouncil the street wasn't necessary. 'The University is in a USC officials contended at a council meeting that im provements being done to Pickens and Pendleton Streets -two other campus arteries--would suf ficiently ease traffic on Green so as to allow its closing. Perhaps, said council member William S. Durham, but council wouldn't know for sure what effect work on those roads would have on the area traffic pattern until work was finished and council had a chance to study the situation by itself to see how things turned out. The upshot is that the Univer sity will return to council with a new request after Pickens and Pendleton are finished, ~sometime. next spring. In the latest development, the University asked the city traffic .00* a*Gr FOR SALE WEDNSDA, OCTOBER 31 FIVETIL EVE :a nnrmu.UieriyDnn e The Co commission in early October for a temporary encroachment into Green so it can install utilities lines to buildings in the area. According to Brunton, work can't be done without closing the street at least temporarily. Brunton said he hoped after the street is closed most people will be convinced that it was never needed and council will allow it to remain holding pattern.' Harolc vice-president <.wsed. To date, however, the committee has yet to make a ruling on the temporary closing. "The University," said Brunton in discussing the current status of Green Street, "is in a holding pattern." For its part, the city maintains that Green Street is absolutely essential to the free and uninhibited flow of traffic in downtown Columbia. Closing it, say councilmen, would put an undue hardship on motorists crossing over town during daylight hours. Besides, maintains Durham, the University has already closed a number of other arteries in the area. A resident oppossed to the D ' nltinUin( closing of Green Street who testified at a council meeting said a shutdown of the road would speed a creeping paralysis of the Columbia traffic syst -n. One !n charged that University students were "self seeking" in their attempts to have the thoroughfare shut down. Merchants in the area seem to be of mixed opinion on the possibility Brunton For business affairs that the street might be closed. Representatives of the Five Points Merchants Commission said closing Green would hurt businesses along Harden Street which connects with Green about half a mile from the University GME The Gamecock is pvbished twice ' day during the fail and spring semt summer, with the eseeption of univt Change of addrew forms, subsc should be sent to Th' Gamecock, I 29206. Subscription rate is $3 per s< The Gamecock recqived s36,00 fr 1973-74. Offices of the Gamecock a Russell House on the univetsity car are 777-8178 and 777-4249, ews, ani class 6ostage lidat Columbia, S. THE TRINK] 2 .1 TN WR*VAS 7.~ Good fr One frl Dratt. You CS This And Enypedi f Humor The National L.a'vnpoon E ncvc:opedia of - Hfurno-alf new mater,al. lavishly ,llus.'rated in color. with tee bonus poster-s'ze flidout Humo' Map T he Word. Hard Mt bet ter bookstor'es and newsstands But you must do one. Tha both. Doing both things v do one qr the other. Ther the new rule. it was on the you missed it. But nonethi you have to obey it. j Saga campus. However, a restaurant owner whose business in located on Green Street between Main and Assembly said a shutdown of Green wouldn't hurt him. For its part, the University contends that traffic congestion on Green Street is hazardous to student pedestrians. Officials estimate that between 14,000-15,000 people cross the street during an average 24-hour period. The administration has always taken the view that the street bisects the campus, is patently dangerous, and is not needed anyway. What will happen to the area after it is closed-if it is closed isn't clear now. There has been some speculation that the area will be turned into a pedestrian mall with an outdoor amphitheatre near the un dergraduate reflection pool but those plans haven't been con firmed yet. COCK weekly on Monday and on IMur sters and once a week during the ,sIty bolidays and exam periods. ription requests and other mail )rawer A, USC, Columbia, S.C., umester and $2 for the summer. un the student activity fund for re rooms 317, 318 and 319 in the apus, 1400 Green St. Telephones J 777-3888, advertising. Second C. [NI ULUZ 12 ASSMUY S. 0NI E719-9095S* IX AS@NM kn Buy /Or This November sports issue w,th Sports lilustrated parody. T he Day Babe Ruth Licked The Big D. "Paper Phmpfon." "Secr Communist Reteree Signals." and new specialty sporis magazines. 75g ever ywhere t's the new rule. You can do iould be good but you must e's no getting around It. It's news the other night, maybe oless. It's the new rule. Andi