For many years, the University of Florida's Transportation and Parking Services office (TAPS) has contributed funds to RTS in exchange for free and unlimited bus service for students, faculty, and staff. The City estimates that 70% of bus riders use the buses for free through annual UF payments, and many Gainesville residents rely on the bus system to get to school or work.

Yet in the month of May, conveniently following the end of the spring semester when the vast majority of UF's student population is absent from the city, UF set out to cut over $3million dollars from their funding of RTS. This cut would not only reduces the money that UF puts into the bus system, but would also reduce the federal grants that RTS receives, which makes up more than 25% of RTS funding, as they would no longer meet funding thresholds.

While the pressure of students and the Gainesville community was effective in driving down the cuts to $2.5 million, these cuts would still mean the elimination of 12 routes, with only a portion being replaced by campus connector or absorbed into other routes many of which would experience reduced frequency.

These cuts, however, don’t just affect your commute to UF—they hurt the entire community. RTS isn’t just a campus shuttle; it’s a lifeline for grocery trips, medical visits, and jobs for thousands. For those who rely on these routes, there may be no alternative transportation for these community members if service disappears.

In response, we, the Save RTS Coalition, have formed from a collection of students organized to push back against this disenfranchisement of students and Gainesville locals by the University of Florida. To do so, we are demanding:

1. Restoration of funding and routes cut over Summer 2025 in addition to a restoration of UF's contribution to RTS to pre-pandemic levels.
2. A binding commitment by the University of Florida to not only annually increase contributions to RTS in concordance with inflation, but to increase such funding as to best serve UF students and the City of Gainesville whose population which grows 0.8% per year, both of which should be adequately served by RTS.
3. Release of all records relevant to how UF's contributions to RTS funding is spent, including record of how the university has allocated the $2.5 million cut in the Summer of 2025.
4. The institution of an independently elected committee of students that must approve TAPS funding adjustments as a means by which students can democratically provide input or accountability to the decisions of RTS funding.

To realize these goals we are asking YOU to join us Wednesday September 10 @ 12:15 pm in Turlington Plaza where we will be leading a rally in support of RTS and kicking off our efforts to make this University one where no students have trouble moving around.