The City of Gainesville and the Regional Transit System are asking the public for its opinion as part of a study that focuses on implementing an alternative bus system.
The city and RTS have been asking students as well as residents for input to find the best alternative to the current bus system, said Ginger Corless, GO-Enhance RTS Study information officer.
The survey has been available online on the GO-Enhance RTS website, www.go-enhancerts.com, since Jan. 22 and will close Friday.
“More than anything, what we need right now is input,” Corless said.
The survey is part of the GO-Enhance RTS Study, which began in October, according to the study’s website.
RTS Chief Transit Planner Doug Robinson said the city has been a potential location for an alternate bus system for several years.
In 2010, the city oversaw what is known as the Rapid Transit Feasibility Study, which found a need for residents in east Gainesville to be connected to major employment and shopping areas, Robinson said.
The study showed that a Bus Rapid Transit system would offer the greatest improvements in mobility and reduce traffic congestion.
In the study, Robinson said, BRT is still under consideration and is asking for public comment.
“We identified a need for improved transit,” he said. “Now, the community needs to see what can be done to make moving around here better.”
Robinson said BRT is modeled to resemble a rail transportation system.
The system would be designed to expand roads and designate specific lanes for the buses to increase travel speed and reliability.
In addition, the lack of stops and improved design of the BRT buses would make them environmentally friendly, Robinson said.
In previous RTS studies, residents tended to favor rail systems more than city buses.
“It has to do with nostalgia and the permanence of rail systems,” he said. “Rail systems are just simpler. They run right or left, with no stops in between.”
The proposed system, however, has its downsides. Widening streets is expensive, and the construction would increase congestion for motorists, Robinson said.
The study area encompasses 16.6 miles from Santa Fe College to the Gainesville Regional Airport, according the GO-Enhance RTS Study website.
With the BRT’s potential to reduce traffic, students won’t have to worry about being late to class.
Cristina Lopez-Poza, a 20-year-old SFC student, said she would consider using BRT system buses if they make travel quicker.
“I think it’d probably be a very good idea and might offer a lot of Santa Fe students an easier way to get around,” she said.
Corless said the goal of the study is to have a streamlined plan for transportation approved by the city and the county by late spring.
The next step will be to apply for federal funding.
“I truly believe an enhanced bus system will help us long term,” she said.
