Students might notice the new 15-passenger CATS van scurrying around campus this year, a change from previous years' Bobcat Express vehicles.
The Campus Area Transit Service is an improved transportation service for students, faculty, staff and visitors, said Doug Lape, Ohio University's assistant director of transportation.
Beginning this fall, OU made changes to the Bobcat Express routes to better serve students. The transportation department purchased a white van in June to replace one of the Bobcat Express vehicles. Upon his hiring this summer, Lape said it was a convenient time to begin the new service, which started running Sept. 1.
We wanted to reinvent ourselves
he said. As we were changing the routes it seemed like a perfect time to do so. The new CATS is an excellent marketing tool to attract students to the improved service.
The same operation budget that was used for Bobcat Express -$97,000 -is now used for the CATS service, Lape said.
CATS uses two vans -one used and one new -to run the routes.
Ohio University purchased one new shuttle at approximately $35 000 from TESCO bus sales in Oregon
Ohio
OU spokesman Jack Jeffery said. The funds were generated through savings within the CATS account over the last two years. And those savings were generated from less advertising
printing and hiring of student employees.
A second used van was purchased from OU's Motor Pool, which is a collection of used vehicles that are donated to OU's transportation department. Lape said he did not know the price of the used van.
We wanted to start fresh and boost public transportation with a new slogan
new marketing and new service based on the previous Bobcat Express
he said.
The transportation department gave the two 1998 Bobcat Express vans to the university's moving and surplus department where they were auctioned off to the public. One sold for $6,200 and the other sold for $4,500. That money was returned to the transportation department. Neither of the two vehicles had technical problems, but they were worn down from the constant use on the routes, Lape said.
The new service provides two separate routes from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays, with stops every half hour. CATS is free of charge and students do not need to show identification when boarding.
One route, the West Union Loop
begins at the Biochemistry building on West State Street and travels through campus to South Green.
The second route, The Ridges Loop
begins at Peden Stadium and transports passengers through The Ridges and ends at The Convo.
The changes to the routes are to help move people around campus better
allowing them to just hop on a shuttle and take off
