The Capital Area Transit System narrowly avoided closing down this year, but the transportation system is still staring down the barrel of a $2.1 million deficit for 2012.
Brian Marshall, CATS CEO, said the system had two different funding sources, one state and one federal, but the money “dried up” in 2011 and will definitely not be a part of the 2012 budget.
Marshall said most public transportation systems in cities the size of Baton Rouge spend about $85 per rider, whereas CATS spends $35 per rider.
“We recognize people now have to wait an hour for the bus,” Marshall said. “That’s unreasonable. We recognize that. We recognize the routes don’t make a lot of sense. It would not make good sense for us to cut possible.”
Making about 10,000 trips each day, CATS may look to the business community for support and address internal measures while waiting to pass a tax investment in 2012.
With about 150 employees, Marshall said it is not his strategy to release people or services, and he is doing everything possible to keep all staff driving buses and turning wrenches to get residents where they need to go.
“What’s really important is 80 percent of riders are working people,” he said. “They, in fact, are in those invisible jobs, mopping floors in hospitals, changing beds in hotels, cooking food in restaurants. To lose that workforce would disallow them to work and would severely cripple to.”
Marshall said he hopes to work out all the details before the end of the year.
“Working it out means we hope to have some increases in revenue,” he said. “We’re not trying to expand the system right now. All we’re seeking of others is the opportunity to maintain status quo. With the tax election we do want to expand the