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Commissioners press for service guarantees as Gainesville moves to insource paratransit; MB Transportation offers interim proposals
Summary
County leaders sought assurances that paratransit and transportation-disadvantaged trips for residents outside city limits will continue after the City of Gainesville plans to insource those services into RTS. MB Transportation said insourcing typically raises costs, offered alternative service designs and will return with specific numbers.
Alachua County commissioners and staff pressed for firm plans on continuity of transportation-disadvantaged and paratransit service after the City of Gainesville announced it will insource paratransit operations to the regional transit authority (RTS). MB Transportation, the current provider for most paratransit and transportation-disadvantaged trips in the county, told the board it is working on options to continue service and will return with cost estimates at the board—s next meeting.
The issue: The city has said it plans to transfer paratransit service into RTS with a target start in March of next year. County staff and MB Transportation warned that transition could create a service gap for unincorporated residents and smaller municipalities who rely on transportation-disadvantaged (TD) point-to-point trips, many for medical appointments. County staff said the state provides roughly $525,000 annually for the TD program and the county contributes about $191,000; that grant and designation process is overseen by the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council.
Funding and designation mechanics: Scott (last name redacted in the transcript), executive director of the regional planning council, explained that state TD funds originate from a vehicle-tag fee ($1.50 per registration) allocated through a state formula; that allocation to Alachua County is approximately $525,000. The state designates a community transportation coordinator (CTC) to manage TD service and presently MB Transportation is the designated CTC under a five-year cycle. A change in provider would require state action at a scheduled commission meeting and could be handled by a governmental entity (for example, RTS) or via a competitive process.
MB Transportation—s position: Randy France, MB Transportation—s senior vice president of operations, told the board that —insourcing always costs more than outsourcing— and cited studies and market experience that he said show insourcing increases complexity, liability and staffing cost. France said MB offered the city proposals involving transportation network company (TNC) partnerships and redesigned service mixes that, in his view, would have allowed the city to meet its stated fiscal target without degrading service. He said MB is working on specific short-term and longer-term solutions and committed to return with price estimates at the next county meeting.
County concerns and public comment: Commissioners repeatedly emphasized two priorities: (1) continuity and quality of service so residents with medical and life-sustaining trip needs are not stranded, and (2) fiscal prudence — the county would need to assess any additional budget requests for the short-term bridge period. Several public commenters told personal stories about MB service, urged county action to prevent service interruptions and requested clear maps that show which trips or addresses would be affected.
City response: Gainesville City Manager Cynthia Curry told the board the city—s budget decisions and timeline are final but said she wished for more direct conversations with MB earlier in the process. Curry said the city—s decision followed a budget process and that staff had not met with the MB executive present at the commission meeting.
Next steps: MB Transportation was asked to present specific cost numbers at the county—s next meeting. County staff said short-term bridge funding — if needed to avoid service interruptions between March and any later RTS takeover date — would require board consideration of budget impacts. The regional planning council and MTPO processes were described as additional decision points if a designation change becomes necessary.
Ending: Commissioners said they expected staff to negotiate with MB and the city to secure uninterrupted service for transportation-disadvantaged residents and to bring any required budget proposals to the board for review before making financial commitments.
