MU students will not have to pay $80 transit student fee
The $80 student fee proposed by the City of Columbia in November 2011 is no longer an option, MSA president Xavier Billingsley said.
The city is also no longer cutting routes as planned.
Columbia Transit proposed the fee as a solution to its $1 million budget deficit, which the city said would force the closure of the Black and Gold transit lines. Billingsley said this is no longer the plan.
“They’re not cutting the Black and Gold routes (by May 1),” he said.
MU is working with Solstice Transportation Group consultant Mitch Skyer to assess the transportation needs of the campus. Skyer met with administrators and student leaders in January.
“What he did was interview us about what’s going on now,” Billingsley said.
Skyer will return to MU next week to discuss solutions for transit problems.
“He’ll give us some options and he’ll be consulting on what those options are,” Billingsley said.
Some of the apartment complexes that could be affected by the cuts have guaranteed transportation to and from campus for residents, looking to outside shuttle companies.
“I know some complexes have already tried to find stuff because they’ve kind of been kept in the dark about these conversations,” Billingsley said.
6:17 p.m., March 4, 2012
Aamer Trambu said:
"The city is also no longer cutting routes as planned." Who said it isn't? What is the source of this? I recommend you contact Columbia Transit, because they know the option is very likely.