Gainesville Regional Transit System
Encyclopedia
Gainesville Regional Transit System is the local area transit corporation that serves the Gainesville
, Alachua County, Florida
area and the University of Florida
campus. It presently serves 25 city routes (13 on Saturdays, 10 on Sundays), nine campus routes, and three "Later Gator" routes. Paratransit
(ADA) service is also provided to anyone with a Gainesville address.
" and circulator routes. UF students have prepaid unlimited access to RTS services through a transportation fee attached to each credit hour for undergraduates. UF faculty, staff, and spouses have unlimited prepaid access through the RTS Employee Bus Pass Program.
and southwest Gainesville.
games that operated until 2009. Beginning in 2010, game-day transportation will be provided by Fabulous Coach Lines as Navigator.
and 12 from Palm Tran. RTS acquired an additional 11 buses from Lynx in March 2010 and 17 new buses in Summer 2010.
Buses in the current fleet include:
The RTS fleet will include only Gillig and Nova buses in early 2011.
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, Alachua County, Florida
Alachua County, Florida
Alachua County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The U.S. Census Bureau 2006 estimate for the county is 227,120. Its county seat is Gainesville, Florida. Alachua County is the home of the University of Florida and is also known for its diverse culture, local music, and artisans...
area and the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
campus. It presently serves 25 city routes (13 on Saturdays, 10 on Sundays), nine campus routes, and three "Later Gator" routes. Paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
(ADA) service is also provided to anyone with a Gainesville address.
City routes
| No. | Description | Operates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Butler Plaza Butler Plaza Butler Plaza is a large retail complex located in southwest Gainesville, Florida. It is the largest power center in Florida and among the largest in the southeast United States... |
Mon-Fri |
| 2 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Health Department | Mon-Fri |
| 5 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Oaks Mall The Oaks Mall (Florida) The Oaks Mall is a shopping center located in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. It has of gross leasable area, and is a super-regional shopping center. It is located at 6419 W... |
Mon-Fri |
| 6 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Gainesville Mall | Mon-Fri |
| 7 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Eastwood Meadows | Mon-Fri |
| 8 | Shands Shands at the University of Florida Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:... to Northwood Village |
Mon-Fri |
| 9 | McCarty to Hunters Run | Mon-Fri |
| 10 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to SFC | Mon-Fri |
| 11 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Eastwood Meadows | Mon-Fri |
| 12 | McCarty to "Gateway at Gainesville" | Mon-Fri |
| 13 | Shands Shands at the University of Florida Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:... to Florida Works |
Mon-Fri |
| 15 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Gainesville Mall | Mon-Sat |
| 16 | Shands Shands at the University of Florida Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:... to Sugar Hill |
Mon-Fri |
| 17 | Shands Shands at the University of Florida Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:... to downtown |
Mon-Fri |
| 20 | McCarty to Oaks Mall The Oaks Mall (Florida) The Oaks Mall is a shopping center located in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. It has of gross leasable area, and is a super-regional shopping center. It is located at 6419 W... |
Mon-Sat |
| 21 | McCarty to Cabana Beach | Mon-Fri |
| 22 | McCarty to Marchwood | Mon-Fri |
| 24 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Job Corps | Mon-Fri |
| 29 | Beaty Towers to Cobblestone | Mon-Fri |
| 34 | The Hub The Hub (Gainesville, Florida) The Hub, formerly known as the UF Bookstore, is a historic building on Stadium Road between Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. On June 24, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Built in... to Lexington Crossing |
Mon-Fri |
| 35 | McCarty to Homestead | Mon-Fri |
| 36 | McCarty to Homestead via Archer Road | Mon-Fri |
| 38 | The Hub The Hub (Gainesville, Florida) The Hub, formerly known as the UF Bookstore, is a historic building on Stadium Road between Buckman Drive and Fletcher Drive on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. On June 24, 2008, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.Built in... to Gainesville Place Apts |
Mon-Fri |
| 43 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to SFC | Mon-Fri |
| 75 | Oaks Mall The Oaks Mall (Florida) The Oaks Mall is a shopping center located in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. It has of gross leasable area, and is a super-regional shopping center. It is located at 6419 W... to Butler Plaza |
Mon-Sat |
| 126 | University of Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... east/west circulator |
Mon-Sun |
| 400 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Oaks Mall The Oaks Mall (Florida) The Oaks Mall is a shopping center located in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. It has of gross leasable area, and is a super-regional shopping center. It is located at 6419 W... via Univ. Ave |
Sat/Sun |
| 401 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Oaks Mall The Oaks Mall (Florida) The Oaks Mall is a shopping center located in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. It has of gross leasable area, and is a super-regional shopping center. It is located at 6419 W... via 20th Ave |
Sunday |
| 402 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Gateway | Sat/Sun |
| 403 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Lexington Crossing | Sat/Sun |
| 404 | Shands Shands at the University of Florida Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:... to Florida Works |
Sat/Sun |
| 405 | Shands Shands at the University of Florida Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:... to Sugar Hill |
Sat/Sun |
| 406 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Waldo Road at 39th Ave | Sat/Sun |
| 407 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Gainesville Mall | Sunday |
| 408 | Shands Shands at the University of Florida Shands at the University of Florida is a teaching hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida and Jacksonville, Florida and is two of many hospitals in the Shands HealthCare system.-History:... to Northwood Village |
Sat/Sun |
| 409 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to Gainesville Mall | Saturday |
| 410 | Rosa Parks RTS Downtown Station to SFC via NW 6th St | Saturday |
Campus service
Nine RTS routes operate on the University of Florida (UF) campus. These include "park and ridePark and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
" and circulator routes. UF students have prepaid unlimited access to RTS services through a transportation fee attached to each credit hour for undergraduates. UF faculty, staff, and spouses have unlimited prepaid access through the RTS Employee Bus Pass Program.
Later Gator
Later Gator is a late night service that provides safe, late night service for students between campus, downtown, the Oaks MallThe Oaks Mall (Florida)
The Oaks Mall is a shopping center located in Gainesville, Florida, U.S.A. It has of gross leasable area, and is a super-regional shopping center. It is located at 6419 W...
and southwest Gainesville.
Gator Aider
Gator Aider was a shuttle service provided to transport fans to and from home footballFlorida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
games that operated until 2009. Beginning in 2010, game-day transportation will be provided by Fabulous Coach Lines as Navigator.
Fleet
RTS currently operates a fleet of 105 buses, some of which date back to the mid-1990s. All RTS buses are equipped with bicycle racks and wheelchair lifts. While many were purchased new, others were acquired second-hand from other operators in the state, including 27 that were acquired from LynxLynx (transportation)
LYNX is a bus system run by the Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority, serving the Orlando, Florida region. Bus routes are referred to as Links. Standard adult one-way fare is $2 with free single transfers valid for 90 minutes...
and 12 from Palm Tran. RTS acquired an additional 11 buses from Lynx in March 2010 and 17 new buses in Summer 2010.
Buses in the current fleet include:
- Flxible MetroFlxible MetroThe Flxible Metro is a transit bus that was manufactured by the Flxible Corporation from 1978 until 1996. From 1978 until 1983, when Flxible was owned by Grumman, the model was known as the Grumman 870, with a Grumman nameplate.-History:...
- Orion V
- Gillig PhantomGillig PhantomThe Gillig Phantom was a transit bus produced by the Gillig Corporation in Hayward, California. The Phantom was first introduced in late 1980 and, with the exception of a small number of buses built in a three-year-long joint venture with Neoplan from 1977 to 1979, was Gillig's first transit bus...
- Gillig Low FloorGillig Low FloorThe Gillig Low Floor is a transit bus manufactured by the Gillig Corporation in Hayward, CA. The Low Floor was introduced in 1996. They are available in 29', 35' and 40' lengths. A diesel-electric hybrid version was introduced in 2004. Frameless side windows are an option. The Gillig Low Floor is...
- NovaNova BusNova Bus is a Canadian bus manufacturer in North America, owned by Volvo Buses, and headquartered in Saint-Eustache, Quebec, Canada.- History :The factory was originally a General Motors plant for building city transit buses intended for the Canadian market...
RTSRapid Transit SeriesThe Rapid Transit Series bus is a long-running series of transit buses originally manufactured by General Motors and is currently produced by Millennium Transit Services as the RTS Legend. Millennium had produced the buses from 2006 until it shut down production in 2009, only to be bought back...
The RTS fleet will include only Gillig and Nova buses in early 2011.