Assist students in succeeding in their educational endeavors by providing them with safe, economical transportation to Butte College.
Butte College Student Transportation consists of 10.2 FTE bus operators and 2 FTE mechanics, and runs one of the largest student funded transportation services in California. Transportation is provided to all students who wish to use the service from most of the population centers in Butte County to the main campus. Additionally, service is provided to Glenn County students to the main campus and the Chico campus by connecting with the Glenn Ride bus service. The group also supports travel for educational, off-site field trips.
The following are Administrative Unit Outcome for the Student Transportation Department:
•Outcome: Meet advertised schedule
•Metrics: Survey (student) and collected data from bus drivers
The following strategies supports our Future Development Strategies in the unit plan:
•Evaluate bus routing to provide maximum student accessibility and promote employee wellness.
•Optimize fuel usage.
- Reduce idle time.
•Reduce overtime whenever possible.
•Track student ridership on a monthly basis.
•Provide driver and mechanic training programs to promote the safety and efficiency of the fleet.
•Convert to DirectLine management program. Increase preventive maintenance program.
•Follow established bus replacement program.
•Design and implement an inspection/evaluation program.
•Develop and implement programs to reduce the carbon footprint of the bus fleet.
Evaluate the use of biodiesel.
Evaluate the use of electric bus.
•Evaluate shop equipment for replacement or upgrade needs.
Assist students in succeeding in their educational endeavors by providing them with safe, economical transportation to Butte College.
The transportation department is closely aligned with the strategic direction of strategic scheduling (1.e) By providing timely access to classes at both the main campus and the outlying campus, the transportation services support student demands.
The transportation department also supports strategic direction 3.a by collecting student ridership data and adjusting the bus schedule accordingly.
The following are goals from the previous strategic plan and program review and the current status:
•Evaluate bus routing to provide maximum student accessibility and promote employee wellness. - Ongoing, adjusting schedule and improving access with additional bus stop.
•Optimize fuel usage. - Ongoing
- Reduce idle time. - Driver education to increase awareness, investigate downloading information from vehicle ECM
•Reduce overtime whenever possible. - Progressing, ongoing
•Track student ridership on a monthly basis. - Progressing, ongoing
•Provide driver and mechanic training programs to promote the safety and efficiency of the fleet. - Funds requested, denied; working with in available resources.
•Convert to DirectLine management program. Increase preventive maintenance program. - Progressing; all buses on DirectLine and preventive maintenance program.
•Follow established bus replacement program. - On track, ongoing
•Design and implement an inspection/evaluation program. - Under construction.
•Develop and implement programs to reduce the carbon footprint of the bus fleet.
- Evaluate the use of biodiesel. - Ongoing
•Evaluate shop equipment for replacement or upgrade needs. - Funds requested, denied; continue to work within available resources.
•Evaluate bus routing to provide maximum student accessibility and promote employee wellness.
•Optimize fuel usage.
•Reduce overtime whenever possible.
•Track student ridership on a monthly basis.
•Provide driver and mechanic training programs to promote the safety and efficiency of the fleet.
•Convert to DirectLine management program. Increase preventive maintenance program.
•Follow established bus replacement program.
•Design and implement an inspection/evaluation program.
•Develop and implement programs to reduce the carbon footprint of the bus fleet.
- Evaluate the use of biodiesel.
•Evaluate shop equipment for replacement or upgrade needs. - Funds requested, denied; continue to work within available resources.
Strategy 1 - Training
Provide driver and mechanic training programs to promote the safety and efficiency of the fleet.
Enhanced driver and mechanic training enables the Student Transportation employees to provide and maintain a safe and efficient vehicle fleet for transporting the students to and from the campuses.
Strategy 2 - Bus Route Analysis
Evaluate bus routing each semester to provide maximum student accessibility and to promote employee wellness.
Ridership levels and timing may vary by semester, depending on class scheduling. The bus schedule needs to provide time to accommodate employee breaks and personal needs.
Strategy 3 - Preventive Maintenance Program
Improve preventive maintenance program to optimize vehicle and equipment longevity.
Preventive maintenance is more cost effective than corrective maintenance. Preventive maintenance extends the life of vehicles and equipment.
Strategy 4 - Equipment Replacement
Develop and implement equipment replacement plan.
All equipment has a finite life and will eventually need to be replaced. Proactive planning for this replacement will allow better decision making and an orderly process. Current replacement value of equipment is approximately $150K and the average expected life is 15 years. This will replace the bus lift, diesel particulate filter cleaning machines, engine rebuild stand, transmission jacks, electronic diagnostic equipment and other bus related tools and equipment.
Strategy 5 - Employee Cost
Minimize overtime costs.
Overtime is expensive for the District.
Strategy 6 - Fuel Usage Analysis
Continue to analyze fuel usage.
Analysis may provide direction for optimization of fuel usage.
Strategy 7 - Bus Replacement
Continue to implement bus replacement plan.
A forward looking replacement plan has enabled budgeting priorities to be established in advance of the needs.
Strategy 8 - Inspection Program
Develop and implement an inspection and measurement program for Transportation.
This program will give us data to inform decision making regarding allocation of the District's resources.
Strategy 9 - Carbon Footprint
Develop and implement programs to reduce the carbon footprint of the bus fleet.
Although the bus fleet assists with reducing the District's carbon footprint, it still is a significant user of carbon based fuel. Reduction of fuel usage or using renewable fuel will contribute to reducing the District's carbon footprint.
These may be funded by Student Transportation fund upon approval of the President's Leadership Team.
| Original Priority | Program, Unit, Area | Resource Type | Account Number | Object Code | One Time Augment | Ongoing Augment |
| Description | Supporting Rationale | Potential Alternative Funding Sources | Prioritization Criteria | |||
| 1 | Student Transportation | Equipment | 123042101699001 | 56410 | $40,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Portable Power Bus Washing Machine | The purchase of this equipment will improve the level of service, aesthetics and help keep the buses maintained in a clean and safe condition. It will also help reduce the employee labor time required to manually wash the buses, and may reduce repetitive motion injuries. |
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| 2 | Student Transportation | Equipment | 123042101699001 | 56410 | $10,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Equipment Replacement | Replace a failed bus tire balancer. |
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| 3 | Student Transportation | Equipment | 123042101699001 | 56612 | $200,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Electric Bus | To provide matching funds for potential grant from California Air Resources Board (CARB). |
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| 4 | Student Transportation | Equipment | 123042101699001 | 56411 | $0.00 | $4,000.00 |
| Purchase GPS Equipment and Software | The purchase of this equipment and software will allow analysis of bus movements in real time. This is for strategies 2 and 8. |
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| 5 | Student Transportation | Equipment | 123042101699001 | 56410 | $0.00 | $10,000.00 |
| Purchase equipment to support the use of Biodiesel | The bus fleet is a large contributor of the carbon footprint of the District. The use of biodiesel should help reduce it. |
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| 6 | Student Transportation | Operating Expenses | 123042101699001 | 55200 | $0.00 | $4,000.00 |
| Training | Enhance driver and mechanic training enable the Student Transportation employees to provide and maintain a safe and efficient vehicle fleet for transporting the students to and from the campuses. |
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