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Regional Transit System Spring 1999 Service Adjustments.
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Title
Regional Transit System Spring 1999 Service Adjustments.
Explanation
The Spring 1999 Service Adjustment will continue the service enhancements made possible through the University of Florida Campus Development Agreement. The agreement concluded among the City of Gainesville, Alachua County, and the State University System/Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Florida allocated state funds to transit enhancements serving the University of Florida campus. In addition, Route 16 Sugar Hill-Shands via South 16th Avenue will be improved from 30 minute frequency to 15 minute frequency during peak hours only. Off peak service will remain at 30 minute frequency.
Additional Alachua County funding, if matched by a Florida Department of Transportation service development grant, will allow service enhancements on routes 1 and 75. The frequency of buses operating on Route 1- Archer Road and Route 75- Tower Road will chage from one hour to every half hour during peak hours. This service adjustment will only be implemented, if the City receives the FDOT service development grant for these improvements.
The Spring 1999 Semester will continue the implementation of the University of Florida Student Government, City of Gainesville, and Florida Department of Transportation demonstration of night service, as part-time transit operators are hired and trained for this service. Additional night service will be implemented in stages during Spring Semester.
Express bus service will continue from the Oaks Mall to the University of Florida campus. This service is being funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation with matching funds provided by the University of Florida. Any faculty, staff member, or University of Florida student will continue to ride this service for free with a valid ID. All other passengers pay the regular fare.
All routes will continue to operate a minimum of 1 hour frequency on Saturdays. Because so much of our ridership is dependent on the University of Florida, we are recommending that Saturday service be extended to all days on which the University of Florida is on official break. For the Spring Semester that means Saturday service will operate on all weekdays during Spring Break from March 6 to March 13. A calendar showing operating days and service levels will be provided in the bus schedule book, as well as on the individual route descriptions. We will also post notices in the buses to alert the passengers to the University of Florida break service levels.
A public hearing on the proposed Spring 1999 Service Adjustment was held at the RTS Citizen's Advisory Board meeting on December 9, 1998. The Citizens Advisory Board has already reviewed the proposed Spring Service Adjustment at its October 28, 1998 meeting. The Board approved the proposed adjustments with a request to explore alternative to dropping service to Tower Center on Route 75. Staff has not been able to find any alternative to dropping service to Tower Center in order to maintain schedule adherence. Because no major routing changes are being proposed, only increases in frequency, this service adjustment does not meet the threshold for a formal public hearing. However, staff felt that the public should still have the opportunity to comment on these proposed service adjustments at a public hearing. Within budget constraints the comments of the public will be incorporated into the following proposed service adjustments.
Service on the University of Florida campus shuttle which is operated under contract with the University of Florida will remain the same with 9 buses serving 4 routes on campus.
Hours of service in the evening will be extended to all the student oriented routes.
The proposed service adjustments are as follows:
1 Veteran's Memorial Park-Museum Rd/Newell Drive via Archer Road. This route will operate on half hour frequencies during peak hours. On Archer Road, this route will continue on Archer Road instead of going on Windmeadows Boulevard.
2 Downtown - Robinson Heights. No changes.
4 Shands - Downtown. No changes.
5 Oaks Mall - Downtown via University Avenue. No changes.
6 Gainesville Mall - Downtown. No changes.
7 Downtown - Eastwood Meadows. No changes.
8 Pine Ridge-Shands via N.W. 13th Street. No Changes.
9 Lexington Parke - O'Connell Center via S.W. 23rd Terrace. No changes.
10 Downtown - Santa Fe Community College. This route will operate on S.W. 23rd Avenue instead of turning on 51st Street and turn on N.W. 83rd Street to Santa Fe Community College. This change will eliminate duplication of service along S.W. 39th Avenue with Route 43. This change is recommended to provide better transfer connections and on time performance. No changes on Saturday/Holiday service.
11 Eastwood Meadows - Downtown via University Avenue. No changes.
12 Campus Club - McCarty Hall via Archer Road. No changes.
13 Job Services - Museum Road/Newell Drive via 13th Street. No changes
15 Downtown Plaza - Gainesville Mall. No changes.
16 Sugar Hill to Museum Road/Newell Drive via S.E./S.W. 16th Avenue. This route will operate every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes during off peak. No changes on Saturday/Holiday service.
20 Oaks Mall - McCarty Hall via 20th Avenue. No changes
24 Job Corps - Downtown via SR24. No Changes.
43 SFCC to Downtown via 43rd Street. No changes.
75 Veterans' Memorial Park - Oaks Mall via 75th Street. This route will operate on half hour frequency during peak hours. To improve schedule adherence it is recommended that the segment of the route operating into Tower Center (Home Depot) be dropped.
100 UF - Oaks Mall Express. This route will be reversed with service directly to the Hub in the mornings. This reversed routing will allow for service to the Law School for the first time along S.W. 2nd Avenue.
300 Later Gator A. This route will continue to operate during Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays according to Schedules. This route will start at 9:30 PM instead of 7:00 PM. New routes will be implemented throughout the course of the Spring Service.
ADA Complementary Paratransit Service: No changes.
Fiscal Note
The funds needed for the additional costs associated with the Spring Service Adjustments will be provided by a Florida Department of Transportation corridor development program grant and additional funds from Alachua County.
Recommendation
The City Commission hear a presentation by staff and approve the 1999 Spring Service Adjustments, effective Monday, January 4, 1999.