The UF Student Senate passed a bill Tuesday recognizing student support for restoring RTS funding cuts made this year.
The legislation, drafted by Sens. Andrew Larsen and Lucas Nadeau, calls on the UF Board of Trustees to reinstate funding for the bus system using Transportation Access fees paid by students.
UF students pay Transportation Access fees per credit hour. While the fees have not decreased, Larsen said, students are receiving fewer services in return.
“It's a real problem that the university is shortchanging students of what we pay for,” he said.
The change is meant to make transportation more effective, Transportation and Parking Services representatives previously told The Alligator. The university reallocated funds to its campus-specific transportation service, the Campus Connector, which runs more frequently and later in the evening.
Larsen said UF’s contribution to RTS originates from the Transportation Access fees. As a result, UF students have always had full access to RTS buses.
The Senate sent the resolution to Student Body President Blake Cox, a member of the UF Board of Trustees. Authors hope Cox will use the legislation as evidence of student support to ask the Board to consider reinstating funds toward RTS.
The Senate doesn’t control UF’s budget and cannot implement any direct actions, but resolutions can bring the Board of Trustees’ attention to issues that impact the student body.
“This is an important step for advocacy and creating documented evidence that the students care about this issue, that the student government cares about this issue, and hopefully it will carry forward,” said Larsen.
The senators coordinated with student organizations like Eco-Gator UF, the Environmental Science Alliance and Climate Action Gator to draft the legislation. Larsen said Sunrise Movement Gainesville, an organization focused on climate change, contributed most.
UF originally announced the funding cuts June 5. Associate Director of Transportation Jeremiah McInnis said while Transportation Access fees have not increased since 2015, RTS’ costs have.
Four routes — 16, 34, 35 and 711 — were eliminated and one — 126 — reduced services June 30.
Students have expressed their grievances on social media. The resolution acknowledges student reports of decreased bus frequency, overcrowding in buses, skipped stops and increased wait times as a result of the funding changes.
“Students report that these complications have caused students to resort to inferior options, such as paying for ride services, arriving to classes late, or entirely missing classes,” authors wrote in the resolution.
Larsen attested to student frustration, saying the Campus Connector has limitations for those living off-campus and is less accessible to students with disabilities. Larsen added Campus Connector employees are not unionized, whereas RTS employees are.
“It’s super important for all students, and the loss in funding has created already tangible harms in students’ lives,” he said.
Students will hold a “Save RTS Rally” Wednesday.
Contact Maria Arruda at marruda@alligator.org. Follow her on X at @mariazalfarruda.
Maria is the Fall 2025 student government reporter for the Alligator. She's a sophomore journalism and political science major at UF and hopes to work as a political correspondent one day! Maria loves to read, hang out with her friends, see her family and go to the gym in her spare time.
