Title
Regional Transit System Proposed Fall 2015 Transit Service Changes (B)
This is a request for the City Commission to hold a public hearing to review and approve the proposed Regional Transit System (RTS) fall 2015 Service Changes, including the addition of seven (7) new RTS positions.
Explanation
RTS makes transit service changes three times a year. These changes coincide with the semester schedules for the University of Florida (UF) and Santa Fe College (SF). The following proposed service changes have been approved by both UF and SF respective to the routes they fund. A number of the changes are also an attempt to fulfill the intent of the 2015 - 2024 RTS Transit Development Plan, which was approved by the City Commission on August 21, 2014.
These proposed service changes will consist of an additional 7,050 hours of service during the 2015-2016 academic year. The projected cost of providing the new enhanced service is approximately $457,404. RTS staff negotiated the rate of $64.88 per hour for Monday through Sunday service to cover service operating costs.
In order to continue current services and provide the additional services, three (3) new Transit Operators, one (1) Clerk, one (1) Grants Specialist, one (1) Transit Fleet Supervisor, and one (1) Mechanic II will be needed. The recruitment and training period for these seven (7) new positions will require that current RTS staff operate the service until the new employees are available.
Fiscal Note
In fiscal year 2015-16, the City of Gainesville will receive approximately $13.8M from UF and $1M from SF, which is projected to cover the current and proposed service enhancements, including the additional seven (7) RTS positions.
Recommendation
The City Commission: 1) hold a public hearing; 2) approve the proposed fall 2015 service changes effective August 17, 2015; 3) approve seven (7) additional RTS positions effective August 17, 2015; and 4) authorize the City Manager to execute any related d...
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