One of the most lamented services on campus, the LSU bus system, is only going to get worse. Rising gas prices have caused the Capital Area Transit System, which provides the vehicles for the LSU bus system, to increase its rates $22 more than previously projected.
“They were running at $58, and they were projecting a verbal increase to $62,” said Colorado Robertson, Student Government president. “After meeting with them last week, they said it would be $84 an hour to operate.”
The difference equalled $1.2 million, according to Corey Graham, SG director of campus development.
This increase in rates means the number of hours the bus system operates will have to be cut.
The Department of Parking, Traffic and Transportation assigned SG the task of eliminating 10,000 hours from the bus schedule. SG plans to cut 1,510 hours from both the Greek route and Tiger Land route. Additional cuts will be made to the Kirby-Smith and Highland-Burbank routes.
The Shaw Center bus route and Tiger-Trams will be eliminated. “Our goal is to cut 10,000 hours off the bus schedule system which is at 44,000 hours,” Robertson said. “The Department of Transportation will [use their financial reserves to cover the cost of the] other 4,000 hours so we’re not taking the whole 14,000 hour cut.”
Robertson said he talked with students who use the Tiger Land bus route to decide SG’s recommendation on how to best eliminate hours.
SG officers met with representatives from the Interfraternity Council, Pan-Hellenic Council and the Greek Board of Directors to hear their suggestions for cuts from the Greek bus route. The Greek representatives decided to recommend the Greek C line be eliminated.
It was also recommended the number of buses on the Greek B line be reduced and the times the Greek A line runs be better allocated to fit students’ class schedules.
SG officers will meet with the International Student Association and Residence Hall Association on Wednesday to hear their suggestions on the cuts.
After SG has met with the students, it will send the recommendations to the Department of Parking, Traffic and Transportation.
Even with the cuts, a fee increase in the spring is still a possibility.
“With the 10,000 hours cut, there is an estimate of spring fee increase of $15 to $30,” Robertson said. “The mass transit fee is already tacked out.”
The Student Required Fee Committee will decide on the fee amount to recommend.
That recommendation will be sent to the Chancellor, who may send it to the LSU Board of Supervisors for final approval. Robertson said an increase in the price of gas was not the only reason for CATS raising their prices.
“There’s several factors going into this,” Robertson said. “CATS asked for a property tax increase, and they didn’t receive it.”Robertson said CATS also requested the bus fare be increased from $1.25 to $1.75, but that request was also denied.
“We’ve never paid overhead costs before,” Robertson said. “But now they’re tacking on overhead charges to offset the cost of not receiving tax or fare increases.”
Additionally, federal money to supplement the CATS budget will also not be received this year.
“CATS used our ridership numbers to request additional federal dollars,” Robertson said. “After [Hurricane] Katrina, that money is pretty much dried up. So now they’re saying, ‘We’re not using your ridership numbers anymore to get federal dollars so we’re charging you overhead.'”
Robertson said SG will question the overhead cost the next time there is a meeting with CATS.
University students make up 25 percent of CATS riders. Robertson said this number, and the possibility of it being taken away, is the only leverage the University has at this time.
“We are pursuing other options for the future,” Robertson said. “But right now, there’s only one option were looking into, and that’s [acting Chancellor William Jenkins] talking to the mayor himself. But the stance of CATS is, this is what it’s going to cost. Period. ”
Some routes will remain unchanged.
“We decided we should still use what’s known as the ‘drunk bus,'” Robertson said. “Possibly take that from CATS and have LSU transportation take that route over. Ole Miss gets a federal grant for theirs. I’m going to see what grant they use for that and see if we can maybe get some federal grant money.”
The night bus routes will also remain unaffected. Robertson said concerns about the safety of the riders at night prevented cuts from being made to the schedule.
Robertson said SG also plans to hold the bus drivers accountable for poor service.
“We’re also looking into building in mandatory requirements into the contracts for the bus drivers,” Robertson said. “They’re unionized, so it’ll be tough, but … if there is an infraction by the bus driver or bad service then we get something back in return. We’re not receiving good service, and we’re paying out the ass for this.”
Brandon Michael Boyd, SG director of transportation, said he wants to implement a text-messaging system so students can report faulty bus service as soon as it happens.
“If we have to come to that, where the buses come every quarter hour, and they don’t show up, we want there to be consequences,” Boyd said.
The number to text would be posted at bus stops and on the buses.
—-Contact Katie Kennedy at [email protected]