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City approves two-day COLT schedule for winter season - By Curie Jones
This document was published online on Tuesday, October 04, 2005
The COLT bus won't remain dormant for the winter season.
City councilmen voted 6-1 at their pre-meeting Thursday for the extended operation of the bus.
Councilman Sam Krone, who said he's concerned about the expense, voted against the winter operation.
The new winter schedule starts Tuesday and is 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. The route is from Albertsons to Wal-Mart with several stops.
Senior citizens, those who can't drive because of medical conditions and young people are among the individuals most utilizing the bus.
"As limited as these people are, I hate to take it away from them," Mayor Roger Sedam said.
The council reviewed six options for the winter schedule. The holiday schedule Dec.1-Jan. 2 would have been four days per week for nine hours and cost $128 per day. Cost estimates are based on fuel and the $11 per hour employee rate.
"One of the options that pops out at me is the holiday schedule," councilman Joe Bush said. "It works with the merchants."
The council compromised on option four, changing the number of days the bus would be in operation from four to two. The cost of the original option would have been $16,000, but for two days is $8,000.
WYDOT will fund 56 percent of the operating cost, leaving the city to pay $4,000.
Councilman Cliff Main came up with the solution.
"I think for $4,000 it's crazy not to try it," he said.
The winter schedule will continue as long as people use the bus. The council will suspend the service until the summer season if it's not being used enough.
"Use it or lose it," the mayor said of the bus service.
An application to WYDOT for a study of the service will be submitted. Additionally, a 117-day count was completed by the drivers on usage of the bus.
There were a total of 4,902 boardings of the bus. Daily boardings ranged 500-700.
Public Works Director Steve Payne says a ticketed person can board as many times as they want during a day, so the figures are not representative of the actual number of riders.
The council is considering using the other, larger city bus to transport people who otherwise commute between Cody and Powell for work.
"The reason we're looking at Cody and Powell (route) is because of the high cost of gasoline," city administrator Laurie Kadrich said. "Maybe there is a way we can share the cost (with the public)."
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