While preparing for the next semester, new and returning students are running through back-to-school checklists. They’ve unpacked, set schedules and bought textbooks. Now comes the question of how they’ll get from place to place — whether that’s across campus, downtown or back home after dark.
Between free bus routes, a network of bike paths and ride-hailing apps for when it’s pouring Florida rain, understanding local transportation helps UF students spend less time figuring out the system and more time living in it.
Gainesville RTS buses
The Gainesville Regional Transit System is a public transportation option jointly funded by the local government, UF and federal grants.
Since 1998, approximately 70% of RTS riders have been enrolled at UF. RTS routes run through various locations within the city and on campus.
During Fall 2025, Route 1 will go from Rosa Parks Downtown Station to the Butler Plaza Station, while Route 17 loops from Shands to Southwest 16th Avenue.
RTS Route 20 will provide transportation from the Reitz Union to Oaks Mall, while Route 33 provides service to apartment complexes on Southwest 20th Avenue and Southwest 38th Terrace, going from the Hub to Butler Plaza Station.
Route 37 goes from the Hub to Southwest 35th Place, Southwest 37th and 39th Boulevards and the Butler Plaza Station, while Route 38 goes from the Hub to Gainesville Place.
Routes 9 and 12 travel from the Hub to Hunter’s Run and Williston Road respectively. Route 13 provides service to the Alight, Legacy and Monarch apartment complexes.
UF’s campus Route 118 will go from the Hub to Southwest Recreation Center Monday through Friday. Route 126 will be its weekend campus circulator, traveling between Sorority Row and Lakeside.
Recent cuts to RTS resulted in a 22% reduction to its operating budget, said Gainesville City Spokeswoman Rossana Passaniti.
The city is committed to continuing to support students and the Gainesville community through RTS, she said.
Since 1998, Gainesville and UF agreed to unlimited ridership for students, faculty and staff. Students can utilize RTS fare-free with a valid GATOR-ID. Students will still have free access to RTS services during the upcoming academic year.
During the Fall, RTS will operate Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. On Saturdays, it operates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. On Sundays, it operates from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Students can track RTS buses and find routes through the city’s GNV RideRTS app. The app tracks vehicle arrival time and offers a real-time map and trip planner feature. Riders can provide feedback by clicking the link in the “Questions or comments” section at the bottom of the app's homepage.
Students can also use the student-created NaviGator app, which provides bus tracking, route planning and arrival notifications.
Semesterly routes aren’t set in stone, and students should be aware of frequency changes and cuts before new semesters.
“There have been so many changes to help improve service for our community,” Passaniti said. “We’ve added electric buses to the fleet. We introduced the free-fare transit program for RTS riders who are 18 and younger and 65 and older.”
Passaniti hopes the stations reflect the city’s commitment to keeping public transportation “available” throughout UF and Gainesville despite cuts to the service, she said.
Amber Nguyen, a 20-year-old UF biomedical engineering junior, said she’s used Gainesville’s Regional Transit System buses to get to campus since her freshman year.
“I lived in one of the farther dorms, so walking was kind of unbearable,” Nguyen said. “I would take the bus to class or go eat dinner at one of the dining halls.”
RTS has been “pretty efficient” during her time at UF, she added, especially when she lived on campus.
Campus Connector
UF is reallocating funding previously reserved for RTS to its private shuttle service: Campus Connector.
The route-based shuttle service is offered Monday through Friday, excluding UF holidays. Students, faculty, staff and campus visitors can ride from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. The buses have 22 seats each and hold a maximum capacity of 40 passengers.
Campus Connector provides two routes: the Westside and the Eastside.
The Westside Circulator route provides service between campus' central area and its west side. It travels to Southwest Rec, Reitz Union and Turlington Plaza, among other locations.
The Eastside Circulator travels to the Hub, Norman Hall, Broward Dining, Sorority Row and more.
Roshni Sawlani, a 21-year-old former UF student, used the service during her junior and senior years and found it “reliable,” she said.
Sawlani lived near Midtown and preferred using the service to get around campus instead of RTS, she said. She typically used the service in the mornings around 9 a.m. and in the afternoons between 4 and 6 p.m.
Although it was sometimes “really busy,” she never had an issue, she said.
“I’ve never not found a seat,” Sawlani said, “It’s pretty nice. It’s air-conditioned, it’s a small van, pretty quiet.”
According to TAPS, shuttles during Fall 2025 will arrive every 10 to 12 minutes between 9:15 a.m. and 3:45 p.m., and every 15 to 18 minutes from 3:45 to 9 p.m.
SNAP buses
The Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol is UF’s free nightly campus transportation service.
SNAP was established in 1976 to enhance personal safety and provide late-night rides throughout UF campus.
Students can request SNAP rides between 8:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. starting in Fall 2025. The availability differs from its previous schedule during the 2024-25 school year.
SNAP is sponsored by the UF Student Government, the Student Traffic Court and UF’s Transportation and Parking Services.
Students can submit ride requests and get picked up at any of UF’s 85 designated on-campus spots, along with UF-owned off-campus locations, such as downtown and Midtown. Students use the UF SNAP by Spare App, which requires Gatorlink authentication.
Students can enter an address and the size of their group, and the app will provide directions to the closest SNAP pickup spot.
Depending on demand, four to seven vans are active on any given night. They’re often driven by other UF students.
SNAP also operates a wheelchair-capable, ADA-accessible paratransit minivan to provide transportation for disabled students as needed.
After rides, students can provide feedback in the app's “ride comments” section.
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.
