The proposal for the University’s new transportation system — which includes adding buses and routes — is in its final stage.Mitch Skyer, transportation consultant from Solstice Transportation Consulting, said the proposal will be completed this month. Student Government hired Skyer last semester to evaluate the University’s transportation system.”We’re actually in the specification stages, which is the talk of the recommendations of what the University and SG want,” he said.More buses, higher capacity and adding routes to the Garden District and downtown are included in the recommendations, Skyer said.”Nothing is final, but the plans call for one articulated bus plus 40-foot transit buses,” Skyer said. Brandon Boyd, SG director of transportation, said the proposal will be open to bids when completed and will be given to the company with the best offer. Boyd said buses will be running this fall regardless of privatization, but if the University’s transportation system goes to a private company, a mixed fleet of buses would be used because of the short timeline.”We would be running new buses by the spring semester,” Boyd said.Gary Graham, director of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, said he won’t know how much the transportation fee will increase until all interested companies have supplied bids. A SG campus transportation committee will be made to deal with any concerns to maintain a high standard, Boyd said. Skyer said his company made recommendations based on what students wanted, operation needs and budget numbers.”Ultimately, the University decides exactly how it’s going to be done,” Skyer said. “I don’t decide it.”The proposal, which will be put in place for fall 2010, is based off the information gathered from the survey.—-Contact Brianna Paciorka at [email protected]