Running a transit system from the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 main academic campus to Bourgeois Hall and Cajun Field is an ever-growing, costly service.
Transit officials are feeling the pinch of rising fuel costs and the demands of maintenance to an aging fleet with little relief on the way. The estimated cost for fuel for June is nearly $50,000 and yearly maintenance for the fleet is nearly $40,000. Wages for student drivers are just over $35,000 per year.
小蝌蚪APP We have to be competitive in terms of pay for our drivers,小蝌蚪APP said Simon Broussard, director of UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 Parking and Transit Department. 小蝌蚪APP淭hese students have to maintain a commercial driver小蝌蚪APP檚 license (CDL) and they have the huge responsibility of getting fellow students to and from campus utilizing Johnston Street.小蝌蚪APP
Twenty student drivers steer the fleet which includes 13 buses, 2 shuttles and 2 vans. Of the buses, four are less than 2 years old while the rest are between eight and 25 years old.
小蝌蚪APP Of course, a newer fleet would mean better gas mileage and less maintenance,小蝌蚪APP said Broussard. 小蝌蚪APP淏ut we can小蝌蚪APP檛 replace the whole fleet at one time. The two new university transit busses, which were put into service within the last 60 days, cost just over $268,000. Operating and maintaining a safe and efficient student transit system is an expensive proposition 小蝌蚪APP but a necessary and vital one.小蝌蚪APP
Offering a little relief to the costly system is a 440-space parking garage that opened earlier this month.
The garage, located at the corner of Taft Street and St. Mary Boulevard, is designated as a pay lot. Anyone can park in the garage for $1 per hour.
Similar garages may be in the works for the campus, which is landlocked. One proposed site is at the corner of Johnston and East Lewis streets.
小蝌蚪APP We小蝌蚪APP檙e in the middle of the city, so we have limited parking,小蝌蚪APP said Broussard. 小蝌蚪APP淲e can小蝌蚪APP檛 go anywhere in terms of growth without impacting the city.小蝌蚪APP
He noted that a transit system will always have to be in place because of classes at Bourgeois Hall, but with more on-campus parking, the busing system could see some relief.
小蝌蚪APP Until we can provide adequate parking on the main campus 小蝌蚪APP i.e., two or three additional parking garages 小蝌蚪APP we will have to continue providing the current services to students. The price tag for these services will continue to increase, particularly as long as fuel and personnel cost continue to escalate,小蝌蚪APP said Broussard.
About 3,500 students park their vehicles at Cajun Field and take a bus to campus and back. Others pay to park in nearby private lots. An additional 5,000 parking spaces would be needed to accommodate demand.