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Gainesville RTS wins FTA bus grant; city, TPO discuss west‑side transfer station and ridership reporting
Summary
Gainesville RTS was named a recipient of a competitive FTA bus grant for bus replacements and a transfer station; city staff outlined a west‑side transfer station concept and transit planners reported ridership declines tied to reduced service hours and raised questions about microtransit vs ADA paratransit reporting.
Staff reported that Gainesville RTS was one of the recipients of a competitive FTA bus grant (one of 34 projects selected nationally). The application included bus replacement, improvements to bus stops and a potential west‑side transfer station; the largest portion (reported by staff) would fund construction of a transfer station and replacement buses if land rights and grant conditions are finalized.
Bridal Singleton, interim chief operating officer for the city, said the city is evaluating site options on the west side (Tower property, a UF property, and a potential new Newberry Village site) but cannot finalize a grant agreement until land rights are resolved. Board members asked whether funds could instead be prioritized toward buses rather than a station; city staff said the grant can support a set of capital priorities and details will be clarified during final grant development.
Transit planning manager Chris O'Chia presented ridership data showing a roughly 19% drop in ridership year‑to‑date compared with last year, which staff attributed primarily to a 16% reduction in service hours. The city has begun reporting microtransit and ADA paratransit differently; staff said future reports will consolidate demand‑response reporting and clarified that a missing microtransit number for March will be added and that the combined ADA/microtransit reporting may cause short‑term confusion. Commissioners asked for clearer, segregated reporting and suggested adding footnotes and color coding to the ridership tables.
Why it matters: The FTA grant could fund a mix of capital improvements that affect transit service and access; clearer ridership reporting will influence service planning decisions.
What’s next: DOT and RTS will finalize grant details and TPO/city staff will present a fuller packet when the grant scope and site options are finalized. RTS and TPO agreed to present more transparent ridership tables (separating microtransit and ADA paratransit) in future reports.
