From 2001 to 2009, the University of Florida increased enrollment by 4,046, growing the student population by about eight percent. Over the same period, the number of cars that traveled on Southwest 34th Street at Hull Road dropped 18 percent, from 54,500 a day to 44,500 a day.
With UF growing, how did congestion decline?
The answer: RTS ridership increased more than 42 percent, to more than nine million riders a year. When the university and the cty of Gainesville partnered to provide better transportation options, some traffic shifted from automobile gridlock to transit.
Gainesville proves every day that transit is a cost-effective way to increase transportation capacity, making your commute easier whether you drive or ride.
This is why the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization, or MTPO — a joint body of the City of Gainesville and Alachua County — includes bus rapid transit in its long-range transportation plan.