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Wednesday, June 15, 1988 / University Daily Kansan
Coordinator makes the wheels go
Fifth-year senior enjoys job with KU on Wheels
By Carla Krause
Kansan staff writer
Scott Russell, Coordinator of KU on Wheels
Steve Traynor/KANSAN
This is the office of Scott Russell, the new transportation coordinator for KU on Wheels, the University of Kansas bus system.
Within the maze of partitioned student offices in 105 Burge Union is an office with hardly enough room for two people to stand in but through which passes paperwork significant to nearly everyone on this campus — at least, everyone who rides a bus.
A fifth-year senior from El Dorado, Russell said that he applied for the job because he thought he had a lot of experience working with people through various campus organizations. He also added, "I've been working with numbers and a given set of rules, along with dealing with the public."
Russell served on two Student Senate subcommittees during his freshman and sophomore years. He is now the Interfraternity Council vice president for membership and, as president of the fraternity and vice president, is now president of Pi Kappa Alpha. He rides the bus regularly, but his hobby is bicycling.
The job requires the transportation director to be a full-time student with a master's degree in nursing or health.
Russell was hired by the Board of Transportation in April, filling the vacancy left by the previous coordinator, Charles Bryan. A predecessor of Bryan's, Steve McMurry, caused considerable controversy when he was indicted for embezzling more than $257,000 from the bus system between 1978 and 1982. Since then, the program has gone through some significant changes as preventive measures.
Russell said that the most obvious change in the system was that more people were involved and aware of what went on.
"The main thing is is that everybody knows it's out there now," he
said. "It's audited every other year by an outside accounting firm, and the transportation board meets every other week to discuss any problems or suggestions."
As a non-voting board member, Russell takes part in discussions on bus fares, routes and contract specifications but does not have the power to make changes.
"The problem with the system before was that it was established in the early 1705 by McMurry himself, and he basically ran it alone," Russell said. "There were no checks at all."
Working with the $302,000 budget allowed by Student Senate, Russell said that his job was to "basicly channel paperwork through." He negotiates contracts for the board with the Lawrence Bus Co. within a given set of specifications, pays bills for the bus system, Secure Shuttle
and lift vans — a program for the handicapped that is run by the Student Assistant Center — and makes sure that everything runs smoothly.
Russell said that McMurry was in a position where students could buy bus passes directly from him, and he would never be audited for these sales.
Now, Russell said, all the receipts were reconciled and accounted for at the end of the semester. A careful watch also was kept on the passes themselves, from the time they arrived until they were counted under close supervision and finally delivered to the Kansas Union and the comproller's office to be sold.
Russell said that 8,000 passes were ordered for the fall semester, and would be sold for $33 — a $5 increase over last semester.
Since taking the position in April, Russell said he has been familiariz-
himself with the procedures manual and working on a simpler and higher-quality bus map for the fall
The nine fall routes have been decreased to two for the summer, which combines the Meadowbrook/Trailridge routes and the 24th and Ridge Court routes. Russell said he stayed busy during the 20 hours he was required to work in a week.
"I usually spend about 40 hours a week down here, because of obligatio-
Russell's term as transportation coordinator will end next year when he graduates. He is seeking degrees in political science and English and has taught to law school. As for his future, Russell said he has some very definite plans.
"After I graduate," he said, "I'm going to take the summer to do a bicycling tour of Europe."
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