Running a transit system from the 杏吧专区杏吧专区檚 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.
杏吧专区 We have to be competitive in terms of pay for our drivers,杏吧专区 said Simon Broussard, director of UL Lafayette杏吧专区檚 Parking and Transit Department. 杏吧专区淭hese students have to maintain a commercial driver杏吧专区檚 license (CDL) and they have the huge responsibility of getting fellow students to and from campus utilizing Johnston Street.杏吧专区
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.
杏吧专区 Of course, a newer fleet would mean better gas mileage and less maintenance,杏吧专区 said Broussard. 杏吧专区淏ut we can杏吧专区檛 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 杏吧专区 but a necessary and vital one.杏吧专区
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.
杏吧专区 We杏吧专区檙e in the middle of the city, so we have limited parking,杏吧专区 said Broussard. 杏吧专区淲e can杏吧专区檛 go anywhere in terms of growth without impacting the city.杏吧专区
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.
杏吧专区 Until we can provide adequate parking on the main campus 杏吧专区 i.e., two or three additional parking garages 杏吧专区 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,杏吧专区 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.