What Can You Do?
Save money, avoid traffic and parking hassles, and prevent pollution by leaving your car at home. With all the modes of transportation UF and Gainesville have to offer, traveling alone by car may soon be a thing of the past.
RTS - Regional Transit System
Riding the bus allows you to use your travel time to get other things done. Let someone else tackle the traffic while you sit and study, chat, or just relax. Designated UF students, faculty and staff enjoy unlimited access to all RTS services anytime, anywhere they operate. No fee required, just show the driver your valid Gator One ID card.
RTS runs 7 days a week, with routes throughout the UF campus and Gainesville, allowing you to use its convenient services for weekend errands as well as school and work commuting. Many buses have bicycle racks so you can take your bike with you.
Note: Not valid on Special Services such as Gator Aider, etc. Employee funding provided by UF and FDOT. Student funding provided by UF Student Activity and Service Fees.
Carpool Program
If you live too far from your destination to walk or bicycle, and RTS doesn’t service your area, driving alone isn’t your only option. The Carpool Program encourages eligible University of Florida and Shands faculty and staff members to share the ride to and from campus. Registered carpool members purchase their own annual Carpool decals at about one quarter the cost of an Orange or Blue faculty/staff decal. Employees and students can use GreenRide to find carpooling partners by searching for others who live near you and have similar schedules and lifestyle preferences. It's fast, friendly and offers anonymity until you decide to make your contacts formal.
Zipcar
If you need a vehicle for a specific errand or trip, you still don’t
need your own car. Zipcar offers 8 low-emission vehicles on campus to choose
from, including 3 hybrids.
Members pay a $35 annual fee and $7 per hour or $70 per day for the vehicle,
gas, insurance, maintenance, a reserved parking space, 180 free miles per trip,
roadside assistance and 24-hour customer service.
UF Campus Cab
PPD provides point-to-point transportation for UF faculty and staff, on the Main Campus, East Campus, and some UF facilities in Alachua County. The taxi service is available at no cost to users, Monday- Friday, 7:45 am- 4:45 pm. Reservations are taken from 7:15 am- 4:15 pm, at least 60 minutes before requested pick-up time. Call PPD Work Management at 392-1121 to reserve your ride.
Bike it
Bicycling is an excellent way to minimize car use and get exercise at the same time. Cycling can get you almost anywhere fast; you can beat Gainesville traffic by traveling in the bike lanes and get right up to your destination by riding on the sidewalks. Mounting wire baskets or pannier bags to your bicycle can extend your number of destinations by allowing for greater cargo transportation.
Worried about bike theft or maintenance? UPD offers bicycle registration in order to aid in recovery in the case of bicycle theft. Student Government offers free bike repair outside the Reitz Union. If bad weather strikes, you can hop on the bus and take your bike with you.
The Gainesville Community Bicycle Project, aka The Kickstand, is Gainesville's newest community center. At this collective bicycle shop, you will gain access to tools, parts, and knowledgeable volunteers who will help you learn to build, fix, and maintain your bicycle.
Get Out and Walk
More than a quarter of US car trips are one mile or less, and 13.7 percent are a half-mile or less. For most of us, these are walkable distances. Your good health is a gift – if you can, walk! Find a backpack or briefcase on wheels that can tote your work items and laptop. For shopping trips, invest in a sturdy shopping cart or collapsible crate on wheels.
Going Home
If you don’t bring your car, how can you go home for the
weekend or holidays? If carpooling is not an option, GMG Transport
and the Miami
Bus Service provide weekly service to/from Gainesville and
Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Pompano, West Palm Beach, Ft. Pierce,
and Orlando for only $40 to 45$. UF doesn’t
endorse any particular service, but you can check out GMG
Transport and Miami
Bus Service for ideas.
For More Information:
EDIS is the searchable Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension, a collection of information on topics relevant to sustainability. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html
