CATS to implement new plans for BR

The Capital Area Transit System held a public town meeting to inform the community of the new plans the company plans to implement for the City of Baton Rouge in 2014.
With a $24 million budget, CATS plans to implement 10 additional routes, decrease wait time from two hours to 45 minutes, for some routes purchase 12 additional buses, increase the number of service hours and implement express routes to the downtown area from the airport, from downtown to the Mall of Louisiana and from Baker to Southern to downtown.
Bob Mirabito, Chief Executive Officer of CATS, said with the new changes, Southern University students would be able to go Downtown Baton Rouge without stopping.
“It is going to be a lot quicker for students to ride the bus,” Mirabito said.
As of now the time it takes to come from Southern to the Cortana Mall is 40 minutes.  Next year the plan is to cut the wait time to 37 minutes. 
To get from downtown to Southern is 75 minutes with two buses.  The plan next year is to cut it down to 13 minutes with only one bus.
According to Mirabito there will be buses running every hour.
“It’s going to improve your access,” he said.
Mirabito said with the new implementations to the CATS’ services, SU students would have access to go all over Baton Rouge.
Jessica Cole sophomore social work major from Baton Rouge said CATS is her means of transportation through the week.
“I rely on the bus everyday,” Cole said.
Cole said she takes the bus to school and work because if she didn’t it would cost more.
“I would have to catch a taxi, which would cost more and on the bus I can use my I.D. instead,” Cole said.
Simone Bray, Student Government Association President said the bus services are important on the campus.
“I believe CATS is vitally important to the students of the university to and from class and around Baton Rouge,” Bray said.
Bray said the services of CATS also affect the faculty and staff of SU.
“One of my teachers uses CATS to get home and to the campus,” Bray said.
Bray said with the additions of the Baker route, students will be able to go to the Baker Wal-Mart, which is closer to campus.
“I believe they’re going on the right track to improve their system,” she said.
According to Mirabito, CATS is currently planning to add a parking garage to the O’Neal area to downtown.
He also said that the company is in the process of hiring 70 new full time operators.
“What’s important is to realize, in order to make this happen, we have to make that technology work,” Mirabito said.