City of Gainesville to add ADA improvements to 100 RTS bus stops
The City of Gainesville is making bus stops more accessible.
Over the next year, Gainesville's Regional Transit System (RTS) will renovate 100 of its stops citywide to accommodate people with mobility limitations.
"We want all RTS bus stops to be comfortable and easy to use," said city transportation director Jesus Gomez.
The series of improvements is expected to be completed by April 2025, the city announced on Sept. 19. The extended construction project — which will implement changes compliant with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — began Sept. 13, according to the city's media release.
The project includes the installation of ADA compliant curb ramps and the adjustment of existing curb ramps, updated shelter seating and increased pad space for RTS riders who use wheelchairs.
Harrison Scoville, 36, a member of the RTS advisory board since 2018, has been a longtime advocate of local ADA improvements. As an electric wheelchair user, he's anticipating better transit accessibility for those who need it, he said.
"The more stops that are ADA compliant, the more options it gives people like me who rely on public transportation," Scoville said. "The more options that we have as disabled individuals, the more productive we can be as members of society."
Scoville, who uses the RTS at least once a week, expressed frustration over the timeline of these improvements. Until this point, he's had to avoid certain bus stops altogether due to poor accessibility, he said.
"It's disheartening when you realize that it's been over 30 years since the ADA act was passed," Scoville said.
While ADA compliant bus stop improvements are a great first step, Scoville urges the city to not halt their accessibility efforts there.
"We need to keep pushing for more," he said. "I think the city has done an excellent job recently, particularly with the newer buses — they're moving in the right direction."
Whether these ADA improvements are necessary is questionable to Sam Claus, 25, a former RTS employee. During his four-month stint as a bus driver (from August to December 2023), he received training on how to accommodate riders with disabilities. It worked well, he said.
"The bus was very functional and capable," he said. "I don't see how to make it work much better."
Claus expressed skepticism over the seven-figure price tag on the RTS improvement project — citing an unclear plan from the city as his main concern, he said.
Budgeted at just under $2 million, the developments were funded through grants from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
"I see it as a nepotistic money grab," Claus said. "I just feel like they're already hiring some local construction company with some inside connections to just feed money around."
Accessibility concerns can be addressed with much simpler solutions, Claus said. It's difficult to imagine what the funding could do for RTS riders with wheelchairs, for example, he added.
"People learn how to navigate overcomplicated systems, and then they charge boatloads of money for it," Claus said. "I don't see what magical stuff they're gonna cook up to make it more ADA friendly."
To Claus, RTS bus stops like those near the Millhopper Branch Library on NW 43rd Street are already accessible, he said.
The first stop to receive upgrades is located near Santa Fe College in the 3000 block of NW 83rd Street, according to the city's media release. Work throughout the remaining stops is set to continue over the next several months.
The budget for their renovation should be used clearly, Claus said.
"I want them to take that $2 million and ... use it for straightforward improvements to the bus stops," Claus said. "Not some wishy-washy thing with tradeoffs."
Though to Christine McGovern, 25, of Gainesville, the city's tentative ADA compliant changes will be largely beneficial, she said.
"I know some of the bus stops are in gravel, where people that don't have full accessibility can't really use them," McGovern said. "The horizons are gonna be broader for them."
McGovern, who considers the RTS her main mode of transportation, has been satisfied with her bus stop experiences thus far, she said. She hopes the coming ADA improvements will properly accommodate riders with disabilities, she added.
"I hope they just feel more taken care of," McGovern said.
In the midst of RTS bus stops' renovations, riders like Scoville remain assured that public transit will soon become more accessible for all — especially those who rely on it.
