posted July 21, 2005
CARTA is facing a number of service cuts due to rising fuel costs, Executive Director Tom Dugan said Thursday.
He said the city was asked to raise the CARTA budget by $390,000 - 12 percent, but the mayor's recommendation is an increase of $130,000 - 4 percent.
Mr. Dugan said CARTA officials have prepared a list of potential cuts.
He said the list includes $817,000 in items. The agency needs to identify about $300,000 in cuts.
The impact on personnel would be the reduction of 5-8 people, Mr. Dugan said.
He said CARTA plans to hold a public hearing on the reductions. It likely will be Aug. 11.
The CARTA board will meet Aug. 18 to decide on which reductions will be made. They would go into effect at the first of September.
Mr. Dugan said CARTA understands the city's budget situation, and he noted that CARTA is the only outside agency getting any increase.
Here are the proposed cuts:
Service Adjustments
- Reduce hours of weekday shuttle from current 6 a.m. to 9:55 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. ($117,000)
- Retire Saturday shuttle at 7:55 p.m. rather than current 9:55 p.m. ($19,500)
- Retire Sunday shuttle at 7:55 p.m. rather than current 8:55 p.m. ($9,700)
- Reduce frequency of shuttle ($120,900)
- Discontinue operation of Stadium/CIGNA Shuttle ($72,700)
- Discontinue operation of Cromwell Road route ($75,600)
- Discontinue operation of Saturday St. Elmo route ($16,900)
- Discontinue all service on MLK Day and Memorial Day ($22,400)
- Discontinue weekday St. Elmo route ($136,400)
- Discontinue Sunday service on all routes ($91,800)
- Reduce East Brainerd service area ($29,200)
Revenue Adjustments
- Eliminate city parking discount at Shuttle Park South ($43,600)
- Increase UnumProvident hourly rate by $5 ($2,700)
- Get cash for Riverbend service or discontinue ($38,600)
- Increase advertising rate ($20,000)
Mr. Dugan said CARTA budgeted $1.70 per gallon for fuel and is currently paying $1.75 per gallon.
On the Stadium/Cigna Shuttle, Mr. Dugan noted that the agency has never gotten any payment for it.
He said the Cromwell Road route is the least used route with 40-45 riders for the five trips a day. But CARTA Chairman Steve Jett noted that cutting the service earlier was proposed, and a number of residents asked that it be kept.
Mr. Dugan said CARTA is having to discontinue free service for special groups, including conventions. He said the agency was asked to double its bus service for the upcoming Harley convention, but declined.
He said conventions need to begin adding fees to delegates to cover bus costs.
Mr. Dugan said Riverbend initially paid for bus service, but it later began using a trade off, including providing free pins. But he said there needed to be a return to payment.
Mr. Dugan said there has been declining use of the bus service on Memorial Day.
Mr. Dugan called it "probably the most difficult budget we have faced in the last 20 years."
He said CARTA had not had layoffs since the early 1980s. He said it might face laying off three drivers coupled with the retirement of another. He said the shop needs to reduce by 1-2, but there are already vacancies. He said one staff member has left and another may have to be laid off.
Mr. Dugan noted that the free Shuttle is a popular service that carried record numbers this year. Ridership was up for the fifth year in a row. There was an all-time record in June.
Mr. Jett said there are no plans to start charging to ride the Shuttle. He said it is important that it continue the current frequency and that it continue to be free.
Mr. Dugan said CARTA is beginning to experiment with the use of bio-diesel in its vehicles. He said one concern is whether bio-diesel might damage bus engines.
He said CARTA has set up a tank for bio-diesel and is using it on one bus and one of the Care-A-Van units. He said the price of bio-diesel was formerly higher than diesel, but it is now about the same. He said it puts out about 20 percent less pollution.
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