Title
Continuation of Employee Bus Pass Programs (B)
This item involves a request for the City Commission to authorize the City Manager to execute interlocal agreements with the University of Florida (UF), Alachua County, Alachua/Bradford Regional Workforce Board, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Administration Health System (VA), and Shands Teaching Hospital and Clinics, Inc. (Shands), for continuation of these employee bus pass programs.
Explanation
The employee bus pass program was created to alleviate traffic and parking problems, particularly at the University of Florida and Downtown. The program has been in effect since January 24, 2000, with University of Florida employees being the first to participate. Downtown City employees began participating on April 3, 2000, Alachua County employees on July 24, 2000, Alachua/Bradford Regional Workforce Board on September 11, 2000, VA employees on May 2, 2005, Shands on February 1, 2006, and the most recent change to the program on October 1, 2007 when UF agreed to fund prepaid unlimited access for 1,705 spouses and partners of students, faculty and staff bringing the total number of UF participants to 14,705. The total number of passenger trips since the inception of the program through December 31, 2007 is estimated as follows: 857,104 for UF employees; 203,891 for Workforce Board and Shands; and a combined total of almost 183,262 for the City, County, and VA.
Use of public transportation continues to succeed for all agencies participating in the program. This program is now available to 2,245 City (including 848 Gainesville Regional Utilities employees), 1,000 County, 1,000 Workforce Board, 2,000 VA, 7,949 Shands, and 14,705 UF employees. The monthly passenger averages for 2007 employee ridership for the City, County, and VA was almost 4,579, 4,057 for the Workforce Board and Shands, and over 11,326 for UF. The total number of employees benefiting from these programs is 28,899 with an averag...
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