By Patti Brummett
The Daily Mississippian

Changes are in store for Oxford University Transit (OUT) in September when a new fare system will be implemented along with expanded routes and services.

In addition to these changes, OUT has requested $2 million for a new maintenance and repair building by the airport and new buses for the expanded routes with the proposal of a new grant from the federal stimulus package.

OUT, which is run by McDonald Transit, is currently in the process of obtaining temporary buses from Charlotte, N.C.

The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) and Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) will transfer the new buses to Oxford where they will be mechanically inspected before use in October.

The new buses will be used for about a year to help in OUT’s new route expansion plan.

During this time OUT plans to purchase new, permanent buses from the stimulus package money, which will take about a year to receive, OUT Commission head Jack Howard said.

The new expansion plan, which is geared toward students, will accommodate student housing areas such as Campus Creek and Campus Walk, apartment complexes on Old Taylor Road and the Anderson Road to West Oxford Loop from town into campus.

Additionally, buses will be stationed on campus, although they will not be going to every academic building.

OUT also plans to expand to the Belk shopping center, Home Depot and the FNC park at Oxford-Lafayette Fields.

“It’ll be like our current routes on steroids,” Howard said.

Proposed fares for the OUT buses will be $1 for adults, 50 cents for senior citizens, 50 cents for handicapped individuals, 75 cents for students (K-12) and free for children under 38 inches tall who are accompanied by a adult.

Proposed monthly fares will be $30 for adults, $15 for the elderly and disabled and $25 for students (K-12). Employers may also buy passes for their employees.

University students will not, however, receive any discounts as of now, Howard said.

There is a proposed fare structure to the university that would allow the university to pay the student fares with tuition or some other means.

Currently, the fare stands at $1 for university students, which is the same fare for an adult rider.

Before OUT implements the fares they would like to have a system in place where any student, faculty member or administrator from the university could simply get on the bus by showing an Ole Miss ID, but this can only happen if the university pays for it in advance, Howard said.

Without it, students would have to pay individually. Howard says that the public is encouraged to come and voice their concerns regarding the fare structuring in the meeting.

Ron Biggs, vice president of the McDonald Transit, acts as the day-to-day operations manager.

Tim Lett, the president of McDonald Transit, saw Biggs’ experience during driver’s training and decided to hire him for the job.

Currently, according to bus policy, bikes are not allowed.

However, there will be bike racks on the new buses.

A public hearing regarding the proposed fare structure will be held Wednesday, July 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the courtroom of the Oxford City Hall. Any interested person may appear at the hearing in person or by agent.