TPO hears RTS budget shortfalls, approves invitation for UF and UF Health to help plan countywide transit

The Gainesville-Alachua County Transportation Planning Organization on Tuesday heard a detailed operational and financial briefing from RTS and approved a motion to invite the University of Florida and UF Health to work with the TPO and local transportation staff to evaluate ways to improve ridership and long-term financial viability.

RTS leaders described a system that has shrunk since 2018 — city routes fell from 41 to 24 and campus routes to two — and said the agency now operates roughly 100 buses with about 239 full‑time equivalent staff. An RTS presenter summarized the agency’s service reductions noting that projected service hours for 2026 are expected to be 100,000–120,000 hours lower than in 2018, contributing to decreased ridership and fewer available trips for riders.

Dennis Wen, the City of Gainesville’s director of finance, presented audited and draft financial results for RTS. “In 2024, we did transfer $2,000,000 to RTS,” Wen said, describing how one-time city transfers and capital timing have driven year-to-year revenue swings. He added that RTS ended 2024 with a reported $5,000,000 deficit and a draft $6,600,000 deficit in 2025, which he said largely reflect timing of receivables tied to grant and capital draws rather than operating shortfalls alone.

Board members pressed staff on the causes and consequences of cuts. Commissioners repeatedly returned to two themes: how the University of Florida’s funding decisions affect system operations and whether RTS can adopt service changes that better serve employees, not only students. A UF representative told the board the university remains “committed to ongoing engagement” and that a comprehensive review of UF-funded portions of the transit system is under way; the UF‑RTS contract now runs through June 30, 2027.

Several commissioners and the mayor argued for a countywide posture on transit and suggested targeting service to large employers and health centers as part of any redesign. Commissioner Cornell moved that TPO staff, city and county transportation staff, and transportation teams from UF and UF Health jointly evaluate options to improve ridership (including headways and operating hours) and to study how those changes would affect long‑term financial viability. The motion also requested that RTS review community feedback from the recent paratransit transition and restore route information to bus stop signage. The board approved the motion unanimously.

In the public-comment period, labor and rider advocates urged faster headways, longer operating hours (including weekends and evenings for shift workers), restoration of door‑to‑door ADA service across the city limits, and clearer route signage. Multiple riders described safety concerns and transfer challenges on downtown transfer points, and advocates asked staff to hold a town‑hall-style forum to collect ongoing rider feedback.

Staff said RTS is working through a paratransit transition, is negotiating incidental ticket refunds with a prior operator, and has begun providing some ADA door‑to‑door trips since March 1; staff said they will follow up with more specific information on refunds and scheduling.

The board took multiple formal votes during the meeting, including unanimous approval of Amendment No. 6 to the current UPWP (to reallocate certain PL funds into the next UPWP cycle) and of the draft UPWP for fiscal year 26–28 for submission and further agency comment. The meeting closed with staff and board members agreeing to continue community engagement and data collection as part of the joint review with UF and UF Health.