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Gainesville RTS offers free fares for youths and seniors Ruelle Fludd
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) -With unanimous approval from Gainesville and Alachua County commissioners, certain people will be able to ride the bus at no cost.
“We can help improve people’s lives by doing the simple thing of letting them ride the bus without having to scrounge for change,” said Gainesville city commissioner, Harvey Ward. “Slowly but surely, we’ll get to a point where everybody gets to ride the bus for free.”
Parts of Museum Road, one of the busiest streets on the University of Florida campus, will close May 10 for construction expected to last close to two years, according to UF documents.
Drivers will have to find alternate routes to cut through campus or travel and park for work and class. Bus route adjustments are up to the City of Gainesville s Regional Transit System, which has been notified by UF. And sidewalks will remain open for pedestrian and cyclist use, according to Steve Orlando, university spokesman.
The road closures and construction are part of a multi-year project to upgrade water, steam and electrical lines on campus, he said.
What actually is built there will be determined by proposals that will soon be sought from developers.
Gainesville city officials, with the help of a real estate company, are trying to revive the project that s been in limbo for several years.
The city recently hired Colliers International to help the city develop guidelines for the project to pique developers interests.
Company hired to market idea to developers
The site is located on Gainesville Regional Utilities properties north of Depot Park and surrounding the Kelly natural gas power plant
Those proposed guidelines, including building heights, will be reviewed by the City Commission in a couple of months after the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area advisory board reviews it first, City Manager Lee Feldman said at workshop earlier this month.
Transportation is a key part of addressing a wide range of problems, from climate change to racial and socioeconomic disparities.
An accessible and reliable mode of transportation makes the difference in whether senior citizens are able to reach medical appointments, high school students are able to attend after-school programs and lower-income residents are able to get to jobs. But additional cars cause traffic congestion and increase emissions that contribute to a warming planet.
Gainesvilleâs Regional Transit System provides a way for residents to reach their destinations without putting more vehicles on the road. Local officials need to expand access to RTS buses and ensure they better serve the residents who need them most.