According to Martin Paulins, who directs Transportation Services, the department initially made this decision in response to the General Fee Committee's request that all general fee-funded units submit budget proposals that included both 5 and 10 percent funding reduction scenarios. The CATS Shuttle services, along with CATCAB, are funded by the general fee, while all other Transportation Services units are self-supporting.

"Our ridership in the summer is only 20 percent of what it is the rest of the school year," Paulins said. "With fuel prices the way they are, that was the easiest thing to do that affected the least amount of people."

CATS Shuttles provide free on-campus transportation to faculty, staff, students and visitors to Ohio University, while CATCAB transports individuals with mobility limitations to locations on and off campus within a designated service area.

Transportation Services has taken other measures to conserve funds, including altering CATCAB routes to ensure that they pick up the maximum number of riders on each run.

CATS Shuttle service will resume at the beginning of fall quarter.