Many University students would recognize Billy Ray even without his signature blue uniform.
With a gentle smile and long, curly hair that seems to defy gravity, he has been greeting students as they board the University bus for nearly nine years.
But now Ray says he is concerned about the future of his job.
“I like my job, and I like where I’m at,” Ray said. “I’ll be worried.”
Ray’s fears are based on recent talk of the University discontinuing its more than 30-year relationship with the Capital Area Transit System.
John Denman, CEO of CATS, said CATS would have to “make some major, major adjustments” if the University chooses to bring in a national company to replace them.
“We’d have some cutbacks,” Denman said. “We’d have to cutback the total number of employees that’s in the company and the total number of hours that’s in the budget.”
Denman said CATS would still be able to operate, even if it lost the more than $2 million a year the University pays for its services.
“I hope that’s not the case, but then we would just have some adjustments to make,” Denman said.
Gary Graham, director of the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, said the University is taking these consequences into consideration.
“Of course, we’re concerned about transportation in the city. That’s critical,” Graham said. “None of this is directed toward CATS. This is about what LSU wants, so either CATS can do it, or someone else will.”
The University is in the process of bringing in an unnamed, outside consultant to evaluate the entire University bus system.
Graham said after the consultant reports what in the system needs to be changed, CATS will be given the opportunity to meet those needs.
If CATS is unable to do so, University students may be relying on a new bus company as early as fall 2009.
Denman said he is empathetic to the University’s decision to look elsewhere for service.
“If that’s what they choose to do, I understand that,” Denman said. “I probably would want to make sure that I’m getting the very best deal that’s available to me. I don’t have a problem with that. But we are offering the best deal.”
The University’s 2008-09 contract with CATS, which is still pending approval, would cost the University $2.4 million.
CATS will operate for 29,155 hours at a rate of $83.50 an hour, according to the contract. That hourly rate is nearly $22 more than the original verbally proposed rate of $62 an hour.
Denman said $83.50 per hour is an absolutely necessary cost.
“That is exactly what it costs to provide that service, with no thrills and no profit being made,” Denman said. “I understand it’s a jump from where it was to where the proposal is, but that is what the cost had to be.”
Denman said fuel costs are the main reason for the increase in hourly rate.
“Fuel is just eating our lunch,” Denman said. “We use 8,000 gallons per week, so we have a fuel bill of well over $102,000 a month.”
The hourly rate is determined on the basis of diesel fuel being priced at $4.40 a gallon, according to the contract.
The new rate will only cover operational expenses and not capital expenses, such as the cost of new buses, according to Denman.
Denman said this past year’s rate of $58 was digging into CATS’ pockets.
CATS provided service for 39,927 hours this past year, according to that year’s contract. But Denman said CATS was only compensated for 37,000 hours.
“That cost was just eating us alive, and we can’t support it anymore,” Denman said. “We’re offering a fair price.”
One of the main complaints from University students and officials is consistency with the quality of service CATS provides.
Jenny Marshall, biochemistry senior, said she would support the University if it decided to switch to a new bus service.
“I always take the bus to school, and they’re just lazy,” Marshall said. “They’re inconsistent, and they don’t care about the students. I’ve been late for a bunch of classes.”
Denman said he is well aware of the problems with service and said he plans to change that.
“Are there some problems? Yeah,” Denman said. “We want to make sure all of those routes run the way they’re supposed to. We want to provide good service.”
Communication has been the major problem in the past, Denman said.
“In the past, complaints were reported to the University, and then the University would report them to us,” Denman said. “Maybe sometimes we’d get back to them, maybe sometimes we didn’t answer every one of them right back.”
Denman said he wants to implement some “face-to-face time with the students.”
“There’s a disconnect with the user and with CATS to report what’s really going on,” Denman said. “Sometimes students don’t say anything until it’s a big issue with them. But we want to know when it’s a little issue so it doesn’t become a big issue.”
Maddie Davis, family, child and consumer science senior, said she budgets her time wisely and hasn’t had problems with CATS.
“Sometimes they’re on time, sometimes they’re not, but they’re always there,” Davis said. “If there’s not a problem, I don’t see a need to start something else.”
As for Ray, he says all he can do is wait and see.
“When that time comes, I just hope that it doesn’t go into effect,” Ray said. “I just hope that doesn’t come true.”
—-Contact Katie Kennedy at [email protected]