The Gainesville City Commission unanimously voted in favor of a new GRU referendum and announced RTS service adjustments in its meeting Thursday.
RTS service adjustments
The city commission approved service adjustments to the Gainesville Regional Transit System in response to a UF funding decrease.
RTS received nearly half of its funding from UF in 2024, totaling over $14 million a year.
UF originally proposed funding cuts to RTS in April 2024. It officially announced changes one year later, stating it would focus on its Campus Connector transportation service going forward.
The drop in funding reduced the RTS operating budget by 22%, now totaling $9.8 million a year, according to a press release.
During the meeting, several public commenters, including students and bus drivers, urged the city commission to maintain RTS funding.
Hunter Holtsworth, an RTS driver, said the number of people who commute to work or school is growing quicker than the city’s infrastructure.
“When has a growing city ever benefited from cutting transportation funding?” Holtsworth asked.
Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker said the cuts were disheartening. She encouraged students to make their voices heard on campus.
“I would encourage you to get out your picket signs and descend on the steps of Tigert Hall,” Duncan-Walker said. “There is nothing like public pressure.”
RTS will add weekend-only service to Route 126, which will now operate on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Several routes have been eliminated and combined with existing service lines. Route 16 merged into Route 17, while Route 34 was absorbed by Route 12. Route 35’s service was split between Routes 12 and 37. Route 711 was discontinued, its service folded into Route 11.
Realignments, updated schedules and route combinations will affect several routes. Route 1 will follow a new alignment and schedule to serve areas previously covered by Route 46.
A removed segment from Route 3 will be served by Route 7, which includes weekend service changes.
Route 6 was also realigned, while Route 12 received both a new alignment and schedule to absorb the service of Routes 34 and 35.
Route 13 had its schedule and alignment modified based on public feedback. Route 16 received a new alignment and schedule after combining with Route 17.
Route 20 now includes service to Cabana Beach and operates with a modified frequency, according to the press release.
Route 23 was extended to Butler Plaza and updated with a new alignment and schedule. Route 33 also received alignment and schedule updates.
Route 75 was realigned, but its schedule remains unchanged.
Minor schedule or frequency changes were made to several other routes. Routes 5 and 8 will run at reduced frequency.
Routes 9 and 38 will no longer stop at the Reitz Union. Route 11 now includes extended night service, while Routes 15 and 26 will operate with reduced frequency – though RTS did not approve a request to fund weekend service for Route 26.
Route 37 will also see undefined frequency adjustments, and Route 43 will return to a previous alignment with fewer scheduled trips.
No service will be provided for Routes 21, 28, 46, 76 and 78 in Summer B. UF campus Routes 118, 122 and 127 will also not operate during Summer B.
Routes 10 and 52 will continue operating without changes.
Service adjustments will begin June 30 at the start of UF’s Summer B term.
Gainesville Regional Utilities
The commission chose to move forward in its fight to control Gainesville Regional Utilities. Commissioner James Ingle made a motion to schedule a special election for Nov. 4. It passed unanimously with a 7-0 vote.
The result drew cheers from some in attendance.
Public comments from citizens and members of organizations like Gainesville Residents United and the Alachua County Labor Coalition pushed the city commission to vote on drafting a new referendum at its May 15 meeting. Returning attendees continued to urge the commission to move forward Thursday.
The vote follows a letter sent by Derek Perry, the attorney for the GRU Authority Board, requesting the commission drop the vote on Thursday’s agenda.
Commissioner Ed Book addressed the letter during the meeting and disagreed with four of its statements. The letter claimed the city’s actions were arbitrary and against state law, arguing it was unreasonable to create another ordinance and send the issue to a vote.
Book posed each disagreement as a question to city attorney Daniel M. Nee, asking Nee if he felt the same about each claim. Nee cited rulings by Judge George M. Wright in the original case and defended the special election as lawful.
Book said he didn’t understand how letting voters decide confuses the public, something he said the letter claimed.
“That either underestimates voters or underestimates the intelligence of voters,” Book said.
The commission also passed a second motion relating to the GRU dispute Thursday. The motion came after a recommendation from Nee on how to approach the appeals process.
Nee said the GRU Authority is appealing Count I of an ongoing lawsuit against the previous ballot referendum, a case that will be heard in the District Court of Appeals. Count I ruled the city had the right to amend its charter with a ballot referendum.
Nee recommended the city appeal Count II, the language of the ballot, as part of the case.
Nee said it would cost $150,000 over the next year.
School zone speed cameras
The commission unanimously voted to add school zone speeding cameras.
Commissioner James Ingle said it was an ordinance he was hesitant about passing.
“I’ve got some concerns about automated ticket processing,” Ingle said. “I know there’s several communities around the state, around the country, that have gotten red light detection devices and then gotten rid of them.”
Ingle said he was concerned about working class and low-income residents who may miss letters. Still, he said there are issues with people speeding and running red lights, and he wants the program to be audited in the future.
Commissioner Ed Book suggested the program be reviewed after the first year to ensure it’s working as intended. He was also adamant about ensuring money made goes back into traffic safety improvements.
Each violation will be worth a $100 penalty.
Northwest Sixth Street
The commission voted 5-2 to add another lane on Northwest Sixth Street. The street was previously reconfigured to have a single lane going each direction. However, Commissioner Cynthia Moore Chestnut said she’s had issues with traffic on that road.
Chestnut filed the motion that passed. The motion will expand the northbound lane into two lanes and remove the on-street parking lot currently located in the center.
Morningside Nature Center
The commission was set to hear a 20-year master plan for the renovation of Morningside Nature Center that proposes a new nature center, education center and second entrance. The nature and education centers would be the largest structures in the park, with proposed sizes of around 7,000 square feet each. The plan would also modernize other parts of the park, such as the current entrance and the parking lots.
Kimley-Horn designers unveiled the joint project with Wild Spaces and Public Places to the public at Morningside Nature Center in April.
The commission decided to table the talks for a later date due to the length of discussions about RTS changes and Gainesville Regional Utilities.
Morningside’s living history farm will soon undergo short-term construction. The construction will renovate the park’s living history farm to improve the quality of life for animals. It will install new livestock pens and a new grazing area while upgrading utilities.
The work will cost the city $125,000. The farm area will be closed to the public from June 2 through Sept. 30.
Sara-James Ranta contributed to this report.
Contact Logan McBride at lmcbride@alligator.org. Follow him on X @logandmcbride.
Logan McBride is a journalism junior and the Summer 2025 city commission reporter. In his free time, he enjoys watching TV shows or playing basketball at Southwest Rec. He is also a big football fan and will die for Dak Prescott.
