The Gainesville Regional Transit System received a federal grant for over $10.2 million, the city announced on Tuesday.
According to a press release, RTS was awarded $10,263,750, with $8.2 million from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the remaining $2 million in Toll Development Credits.
The funds will go toward multiple transportation improvements, which include Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility upgrades to bus stops, a new Westside Bus Transfer Station and Park-and-Ride facility, and the replacement of older paratransit vehicles.
According to the city, “this award comes at a pivotal moment for RTS, which on March 1 officially brought ADA paratransit transportation in-house with the launch of a new service called RTS Plus. Previously supported by an outside vendor, a recent multi-year study indicated that paratransit would be more sustainable and cost-effective for the city if operated within RTS.”
RTS owns 21 suitable vans and, over the past several months, the newly assigned paratransit drivers have “mastered daily routes and door-to-door service procedures,” the release said.
“The RTS team put in months behind the scenes,” said Gainesville Interim City Manager Andrew Persons in the release. “Launching this as another service provided by RTS is a significant milestone. We’re growing existing operations and offering neighbors a broadly accessible public transit system provided entirely by the city of Gainesville.”
Grant funds will also support the final phase of a multi-year project that will bring all RTS bus stops into compliance with ADA. Nearly 200 stops are not fully accessible to people using mobility devices and those who are vision-impaired. The upgrades will also help passengers with shopping carts and strollers and will expand shelter structures to provide safety in inclement weather and shade from the sun.
Nearly $5 million from the grant will be used to construct the Westside Bus Transfer Station and Park-and-Ride facility that will replace an area in the Oaks Mall parking lot that was lost in 2020 to redevelopment. Currently, more than 1,500 passengers per day get on and off at a series of stops along NW 62nd Street near Oaks Mall, which makes it the third busiest location operated by RTS.
“This is needed to fix an issue our riders deal with every day,” said Transportation Director Jesus Gomez in the release. “Right now, we have one of the busiest transfer points in our system operating along an arterial road. The new station will improve safety, traffic and do it with better comfort.”
The new Westside Bust Transfer Station, which will possibly be constructed near SW Eighth Avenue with a tentative construction date of 2028, will include shaded waiting areas, improved passenger amenities, dedicated bus bays and parking for commuters traveling from West Gainesville and the surrounding communities. The project is expected to reduce traffic congestion along Newberry Road near the Interstate 75 interchange, along with restoring a park-and-ride option for passengers heading to downtown Gainesville or to UF Health or the University of Florida.