City and county government are looking to make the future of Gainesville's traffic situation greener.
Concerned citizens and government met Wednesday at the Gainesville Public Works building to discuss ways to make city and county transportation more sustainable.
Twenty-eight people, including members from Gainesville Regional Utilities, Regional Transit System, residents and city and county governments talked about the future of local transportation.
Thomas Hawkins, a Gainesville city commissioner, said he advocated adding a streetcar or another form of public transportation to help commuters get around town.
Others at the forum were concerned about how Gainesville will use available land in the future.
Marlie Sanderson, assistant executive director of the North Central Florida Regional Planning Council, said Gainesville needs to do a better job of using land for public transportation.
Adding a bus rapid-transit system, which would include buses that have priority over a lane of traffic, would have fewer stops and may increase the flow of traffic, he said.
A similar system is used in Eugene, Ore., said Jeff Hays, Alachua County senior transportation planner.
After a year of using the system, the Oregon city saw a 100-percent increase in ridership, he said.
Virgil Mathis, a 22-year-old religion and sustainability studies UF senior, said he's glad Gainesville residents care about sustainability.
"We are fortunate to live in a community that puts a value on sustainability," he said.
