Transportation

One Less CarSustainable Transportation Working Group

The commutes that each of us make to, from, and around campus contribute to traffic, inefficiency and carbon emissions.  UF has made great strides in reducing the need for single occupancy vehicle travel, and the Sustainable Transportation Working Group meets regularly to discuss opportunities for expanding our alternative transportation efforts.  There are many affordable transportation options for students, staff, and faculty. Help us by being One Less Car!

UF continues to improve transportation by working towards the following goals:

• In collaboration with the City of Gainesville, increasing the Regional Transit System (RTS) system to accommodate more locations and service times to move faculty and staff to and from the UF campus.
• Increasing the number and quality of bikeways around the campus and improve the bicycling infrastructure to include bicycle parking and other facilities for bicyclists.
• In cooperation with the City of Gainesville, creating safe and comfortable areas to bicycle and walk on and near campus. Did you know that Gainesville is number 16 on the list of 50 most bike-friendly cities in the U.S.?
• Through the Office of Sustainability’s annual One Less Car program, encouraging students, staff and faculty to explore alternative modes of transportation, and incentivising their efforts

Bike It
Bicycling is an excellent way to minimize car use, save money on gas and get exercise all 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.

UF now offers a departmental bicycle program to encourage faculty and staff to use alternative modes of transportation on and around campus. The bicycles were refurbished from abandoned property on campus and their usage is being monitored to inform future programs. Request forms are available here.

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.

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 and spouses enjoy unlimited access to all RTS services anytime, anywhere they operate, with 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.   All buses now run on a B20 biodiesel blend and have a Gator Locator GPS system that allows you to track them in real time.

**Not valid on special services. Employee funding provided by UF and FDOT. Student funding provided by UF Student Activity and Service Fees.

Carpool/Zimride 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 half the cost of an Orange or Blue faculty/staff decal. Employees and students can use Zimride to find carpooling partners by searching for others who live close and have similar schedules and lifestyle preferences. Zimride is a fun and easy way to share the seats in your car or catch a ride. You can find UF friends, classmates, and coworkers going the same way you are!

Zipcar
If you need a vehicle for a specific errand or trip, you still don’t need your own car. Zipcar offers 9 low-emission vehicles on campus to choose from, including 3 hybrids, and eliminates the guesswork of trying to find parking on campus!

Those 18 and over are eligible. The program requires an annual membership fee for individuals and is free for UF departments, and while those 18-20 have access to all Zipcars on campus, members 21 or older are eligible to use thousands of Zipcars located around the globe. Hourly and daily rates range, but include vehicle, gas, insurance, maintenance, a reserved parking space, 180 free miles per trip, roadside assistance and 24-hour customer service.

UF Campus Cab
Transportation and Parking Services provides point-to-point transportation for UF faculty and staff, on the Main Campus, East Campus, Emerson Alumni Hall and the Human resources Building. The Campus Cab 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. Make your reservation by emaiing campuscab@ufl.edu or calling 352-392-RIDE (352-392-7433).

Gotcha Cab
Gotcha Ride is an eco-friendly, 100% battery powered transportation service that provides free rides for students and faculty. Gotcha Ride currently has five specially-designed vehicles operating on the University of Florida campus, each of which can safely accommodate up to 5 passengers.

Get Out and Walk
More than a quarter of U.S. 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, so 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.  If you just want to get some exercise, Healthy Gators offers the Walking Gators program, with easy 1,3 and 5 mile campus routes.

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, Naples, Ft. Pierce, Orlando, Tampa, Ocala, Tallahassee, and Atlanta. UF doesn’t endorse any particular service, but you can check out GMG Transport, Miami Bus Service, Greyhound Bus Lines, RedCoach, Megabus or American Education Tours for ideas.

SNAP (Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol)
SNAP provides nightly escorts anywhere on campus to persons on request. The service is staffed by students equipped and supervised by the university police department. To request a ride, call 352-392-SNAP (352-392-7627).