UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA CAMPUS MASTER PLAN,
2010-2020:
YEAR 2020 TRANSIT SYSTEM ANALYSIS
Prepared for:
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
Prepared by:
March 2011
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 1
REVIEW OF PEER UNIVERSITIES ...................................................................................... 1
BUS ROUTE CLARITY & BRANDING................................................................................ 5
Objective.......................................................................................................................................5
Methodology ................................................................................................................................5
comparative Analysis ..................................................................................................................5
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 15
FACULTY CAB SERVICE................................................................................................. 22
Objective.................................................................................................................................... 22
Comparison Research............................................................................................................... 22
Analysis Methodology ............................................................................................................. 22
Results ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 24
DIRECTNESS TO DESTINATIONS ................................................................................... 25
Objective.................................................................................................................................... 25
Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 25
Analysis....................................................................................................................................... 29
Results ......................................................................................................................................... 36
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 36
INTERFACE OF CITY AND CAMPUS BUSES (SUPPLY VS. DEMAND) ............................ 37
Objective.................................................................................................................................... 37
Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 37
Implications of Strategy Implementation .............................................................................. 38
Analysis and Results By Route ................................................................................................ 39
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 43
PARK AND RIDE ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 46
Objective.................................................................................................................................... 46
Methodology ............................................................................................................................. 46
Results ......................................................................................................................................... 48
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Recommendations ..................................................................................................................... 61
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................... 62
Bus Route Clarity and Branding ............................................................................................. 62
Faculty Cab Service ................................................................................................................. 62
Directness to Destinations ........................................................................................................ 63
Interface of Campus Routes and City Routes....................................................................... 63
Park and Ride Lots ................................................................................................................... 64
LIST OF MAPS
Map 1: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Florida: Regional Transit System
City Routes ................................................................................................................................ 16
Map 2 Route Maps of Peer Universities – Florida State University: StarMetro ................... 17
Map 3: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign:
Champaign - Urbana Mass Transit District .......................................................................... 18
Map 4: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Michigan: The Ride ....................... 19
Map 5: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:
Chapel Hill Transit ................................................................................................................... 20
Map 6: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Virginia: University Transit System21
Map 7: Top 26 Most Popular Campus Cab Pick-up and Drop-off Locations ....................... 23
Map 8: Origins and Destinations ................................................................................................... 28
Map 9: Identifying Park and Ride Lot Capture Area using Model Nodes for Travel Time 49
Map 10: Generalized Capture Area for Park and Ride Lot (Newberry Road and Ft.
Clarke Blvd.) ............................................................................................................................. 50
Map 11: Generalized Capture Areas for All Potential Park and Ride Lots ......................... 50
Map 12: Potential Park and Ride Lot Locations and Accessibility Analysis........................... 55
Map 13: Year 2035 LTRP Transit Needs Plan............................................................................ 57
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Bus Stop Lookup Screenshot .......................................................................................... 10
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: University of Florida Peer Universities Comparison ......................................................3
Table 2: Campus Cab Locations Not Directly Served by Campus Bus Routes ...................... 24
Table 3: RTS Campus Bus Routes Serving each Destination and Generator ......................... 27
Table 4: Shortest Driving Distance to Destinations ..................................................................... 30
Table 5: Bus Travel Distance to Destinations ............................................................................... 31
Table 6: Difference between Bus Travel Distance and Shortest Road Distance ................... 34
Table 7: Difference in Travel Time between Driving and Taking the Bus .............................. 35
Table 8: Route Recommendations to Decrease On-Campus Bus Traffic ................................ 44
Table 9: Population and Employment in Park and Ride Lot Capture Areas ......................... 52
Table 10: UF Employee and Student Residences (in TAZs) within Three Miles of Potential
Park and Ride Lots ................................................................................................................... 54
Table 11: Transit Service Characteristics at Potential Park and Ride Lots ............................ 58
Table 12: Planned Regional Transit System Service Span and Frequencies by Service Type59
Table 13: Congestion Levels on Potential Park and Ride Lot Corridors................................. 60
Table 14: Travel Time Comparison for Auto vs. Transit Trips .................................................. 61
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
INTRODUCTION
The Transit System Analysis provides an overall of future transit system needs for the University of
Florida. A major component of the Campus Master Plan Transportation Element, the transit
system and related programs provides a foundation for the University’s efforts toward sustainability
and a high campus mode share for non-auto travel. Transit service on and around UF is closely
integrated with future transit plans for the entire Gainesville/Alachua County area. For that
reason, the Transit System Needs Plan is closely coordinated with the Year 2035 Long Range
Transportation Plan Transit Needs Plan, as well as City and County plans.
Several analyses were conducted during development of this Transit Needs Plan, including an
analysis of the effectiveness of the current services for students, faculty members and staff and an
evaluation of potential park and ride lot locations. The methodologies, assumptions and data used
in the analyses are documented in the following sections.
REVIEW OF PEER UNIVERSITIES
The transportation services of several universities throughout the nation were examined in
comparison with the University of Florida (UF) to determine how the UF’s transportation
initiatives for providing staff, students and faculty with dependable and easy-to-use transportation
options compare to those of similar universities other placement. These universities were selected
as peer universities to UF based on a variety of comparative factors in school and community size,
transit system complexity, and academic program. These considerations include:
• University student population
• City and Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population
• City character
• Fare-free transit service for university students and employees
• Extent of branding to distinguish campus and city bus service
• Number of bus routes that serve the campus
• Research school ranking
• Medical school accreditation
• Association of American Universities (AAU) membership
• Students’ Opinion on Campus Transportation
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Universities with similar student population size and community population size and character will
generally experience similar demands on the transit system. Although the University of TexasAustin has a similar student population size, the large population and urban character of Austin
gives a different dynamic to transit demand as compared to Gainesville. The demand, size and
operational characteristics of the bus transportation system were also considered. Arizona State
University was eliminated from the list of peer universities because it has access to a light rail
system, thus changing the dynamics of the bus system. Similarly, Michigan State University was
eliminated because the students do not ride for free on the Capital Area Transportation Authority’s
city bus routes. The academic programs of the universities and their research facilities were also
considered, using research school rankings and membership rosters for the Association of American
Universities (AAU) and Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Another
consideration was the visual and operational distinction between campus bus service and city
transit.
Of 17 universities, five were selected as the peer universities to the University of Florida for these
transit analyses: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Michigan, University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Virginia and Florida State University. While FSU
differs from UF in community character and rankings, it was included to serve as a logical Florida
comparison. The peer universities are compared in Table 1 below. These five universities and
their transit services were compared to UF for the bus route clarity and branding analysis.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Table 1: University of Florida Peer Universities Comparison
2009
Metropolitan
Statistical
Area
Population
Does It Have
A U-Pass Or
Universal
Access?
Is It A Tier 1
Research
School?1
Suburban
/ Small
Urban
Yes
Yes
Yes. City routes are
numbered below 100.
Campus routes are
numbered within the
100s.
360,013
Urban
Yes
No - Tier 2
Yes. City routes are
numbered.
Campus
routes are named.
38,6584
226,132
Suburban
/ Small
Urban
Students,
faculty
and
staff ride free
by showing
ID
Yes
41,674
113,2064
347,563
Suburban
/ Small
Urban
Yes. Free for
UM students,
faculty
&
staff.
28,916
49,9194
501,2285
Suburban
/ Small
Urban
CHT buses
are free for
everyone.
UNC
CAP
members
receive free
Go-Pass to all
TTA
and
DATA buses
2009-2010
Student
Population
2006 City
Population
Estimate
School
Name
City,
State
University of
Florida
Gainesville, FL
50,691
108,6554
260,690
Florida State
University
Tallahassee, FL
40,255
159,0124
University of
Illinois
at
UrbanaChampaign
Urbana, IL
41,918
University of
Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI
University of
North
Carolina at
Chapel Hill
Chapel
NC
Hill,
City
Character
Is The Campus Transit
Service Distinguished
From The City Service?
No. Of Bus
Routes That
Serve The
Campus
Transportation
Grade2
AAU
Member
Accredited
Medical
School5
Nine
routes
circulate in and
around campus;
most city routes
stop
near
campus
FSU
provides
seven campus
routes;
seven
city routes serve
the campus.
A-
Yes
Yes
A-
No
Yes
No. Some of the city
routes serve the campus,
but they are not named
differently or otherwise
distinguished from the
routes that do not serve
the campus.
Seven
routes
serve
the
campus.
B+
Yes
No
Yes
Yes. City routes are
numbered.
Campus
routes are named.
Seven university
bus routes &
eight city routes
serve
the
campus
A-
Yes
Yes
Yes
No. Chapel Hill Transit
provides service for the
university and town.
Routes that serve the
university
are
not
distinguished from those
that do not.
About 20 to 25
CHT
routes
serve
the
campus
B
Yes
Yes
Other
Notes
Campus And City
Transportation Websites
RTS operates ~25 different city routes,
many of which stop near campus. There are
nine different campus routes that provide
internal circulation. UF students, faculty,
staff and spouses can ride for free on any
fixed-route service.
FSU's Seminole Express bus system
provides service from almost every
apartment complex on the west side of
Tallahassee to the FSU campus. StarMetro
is Tallahassee's city bus system and includes
campus shuttles at FSU and Florida A&M
University.
UIUC is located between the twin cities of
Urbana and Champaign (combined pop of
~100,000). MTD, the transit agency for
the twin cities has routes that serve the
cities, most of which connect to the
University area. Some of these routes
internally serve the campus.
http://parki
ng.ufl.edu
http://gorts.com
http://parki
ng.fsu.edu/S
eminole%20
Express/Se
minole%20E
xpress.html
http://www.
talgov.com/st
armetro/
http://ww
w.cumtd.co
m/
UMich is separated into North Campus and
South Campus, divided by a national
arboretum. The University operates its own
bus system with services in and between
campuses. On campus bus service looks
comparable to UF, but no map with all the
routes exists on the website, although Magic
Bus shows the locations of the buses. The
Ride is Ann Arbor's city transit agency, and
has several routes that serve UM and
downtown. It also serves Ypsilanti, a town
to the east of Ann Arbor.
The Town of Chapel Hill, in partnership
with UNC and the Town of Carrboro,
operates Chapel Hill Transit (CHT), a free
bus transit system within the town. CHT
provides local transit service for the
University and its medical facilities.
Triangle Transit is a region-wide transit
agency that focuses on commuter markets
by providing service between regional
destinations.
http://pts.u
mich.edu/ta
king_the_bu
s/routes/
http://illinois
.edu/ds/detai
l?departmentI
d=illinois.edu
203&sea
rch_type=&a
mp;skinId=22
40
http://www.
theride.org/
http://www.townofchapelhil
l.org/index.aspx?page=1175
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
School
Name
City,
State
University of
Virginia
Charlottesville,
VA
2009-2010
Student
Population
20,895
2006 City
Population
Estimate
42,2183
2009
Metropolitan
Statistical
Area
Population
196,766
City
Character
Suburban
/ Small
Urban
Does It Have
A U-Pass Or
Universal
Access?
UTS buses are
free
for
everyone.
Students,
faculty
and
staff ride CAT
for free w/
ID.
Is It A Tier 1
Research
School?1
Yes
Is The Campus Transit
Service Distinguished
From The City Service?
Yes. City routes are
numbered.
University
routes are named.
No. Of Bus
Routes That
Serve The
Campus
UTS has six
routes that serve
the university
community.
The CAT Free
Trolley
links
UVA
and
downtown.
Transportation
Grade2
A-
AAU
Member
Yes
Accredited
Medical
School5
Yes
Other
Notes
The University operates UTS, which
provides free service through the campus
and hospital, sports facilities, and off-site
parking locations.
The City of
Charlottesville operates the CAT, which
provides service to the City and parts of
Northern Albemarle County. The two
systems are not well integrated. The City
offers the Free Trolley, which connects the
University
area
to
downtown
Charlottesville.
Campus And City
Transportation Websites
http://ww
w.virginia.e
du/parking/
uts/index.ht
ml
http://www.
charlottesville
.org/index.as
px?page=661
1
According to the Center for Measuring University Performance: The Top American Research Universities 2009 Annual Report
According to www.collegeprowler.com
3
2009 Census estimate
4
2006 Census estimate
5
According to the membership roster of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
2
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
BUS ROUTE CLARITY & BRANDING
Bus systems can be confusing and intimidating for first time riders, especially when a big transit
system has numerous routes or when more than one transit system provides service in an area. The
strategic use of colors, numbers, letters and other visual differentials can help riders to understand
which systems and routes serve certain destinations and locate the correct transit stop. Several bus
systems across the nation have used the concept of ‘branding’ to help riders identify certain
services. An express bus service may be identified by a different bus stop sign, the bus stop might
have a specially designed shelter with other amenities, and the buses themselves may look different.
OBJECTIVE
If the university’s transit system is too confusing, students and university employees will prefer not
to use it. The objective of this analysis is to determine how ‘user-friendly’ the RTS bus system is
and whether changes in the system branding would increase the usability of the transit system. The
branding techniques of the peer universities will provide a basis for comparison against those of the
University of Florida and RTS.
METHODOLOGY
The current transit system (RTS campus routes) for UF was examined to identify the branding
techniques used to distinguish the available routes and services, including the bus schedules and
other rider information guides, the colors and designs of the route labels, the bus stop signs and
amenities, and the buses themselves. The transit systems at several peer universities were similarly
examined, and the branding techniques of the different universities were compared. The system
maps of each system are provided following the recommendations section in Maps 1 through 6.
The system maps are at different scales and highlight the differences in service extent and
complexity.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
CURRENT BRANDING TECHNIQUES
RTS designates nine bus routes as campus routes, which differ from the other city routes by
operating schedule. Students, faculty and staff employees of the University of Florida have
universal access to all RTS bus routes as part of a prepaid agreement between the University and
RTS. Map 1 shows the RTS system map for city routes.
The RTS rider guide materials provide easy-to-understand information about how to use the 28
weekday city routes, nine campus routes, and different routes and services for late nights, Saturdays
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
and Sundays. The printed City & Campus Bus Schedule is very comprehensive with system maps
showing the entire service area plus a detailed map for campus services. A large number of city and
campus routes serve the campus, but there is no map that shows the city and campus routes
together.
The routes are identified by color and number, although many of the routes are shown in similar
hues making it difficult to read, especially when three or more routes travel on the same road
segment.
Campus routes are differentiated from city routes by number. City weekday routes are numbered
1 to 99; campus weekday routes are numbered 100 to 199. Special weekend routes are in the
400s.
Two years ago, RTS updated the look of its buses and bus stop signs by replacing older genericlooking buses and signs. Everything that bears the RTS name, including the buses, bus stop signs,
rider guides, and website, is now easily identifiable with a new cohesive blue and white color
scheme. RTS is continuing to expand the application of the paint scheme. Recently RTS added
reflective stickers to many of the bus shelters.
Older buses:
Source: Arthur-A (Flickr)
Date of photo: March 3, 2008
New buses and bus stop signs:
Source: Arthur-A (Flickr)
Date of photo: January 17, 2009
Source: KD (Picasa)
Date of photo: August 4, 2009
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
For most city routes, RTS riders can now track the buses through TransLoc TVS
(http://ufl.transloc.com), a real-time GPS information system that provides riders and transit
administrators with information on where the buses are and when the next bus is coming. Riders
can see a system-wide map of which routes are currently in service, each bus stop on each route,
how many buses are running, and the next arrival time at a certain stop. Especially for the student
riders, who are generally inclined to use the latest information technology to their benefit, this
application makes the RTS bus system very easy to understand.
The posting of route information
varies depending on customer
requests and the amount of activity
at a bus stop. Typically more
information is posted at off-campus
stops and where service is less
frequent. Riders may have trouble
using bus service at stops that lack
posted information, particularly if
they do not have a phone with
internet access.
The bus stops do not continue the
theme of the color-coded routes.
The above photo shows a bus stop
for Route 34 that does not match the
red coloring that identifies it in the
bus
schedule
or
TransLoc
application.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
PEER REVIEW AND COMPARISON
The branding and route identification techniques of the transit systems of the five peer universities
were examined relative to the University of Florida
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
The Seminole Express routes provide transit
service within the FSU campus, to major offcampus apartment complexes and to off-campus
university facilities like the Alumni Village and
Engineering School. StarMetro, Tallahassee’s
city transit service, has seven additional routes
that provide service within the FSU campus and
to off-campus housing. These routes connect to
the CK Steele Plaza, the main downtown transfer
center for transfers with the other StarMetro city Source: PARC, StarMetro
routes, providing links to major retail centers and
other destinations. FSU students, faculty and staff members ride for free on all StarMetro routes.
Map 2 shows the StarMetro system map.
StarMetro’s city routes and FSU’s Seminole Express appear to be
two different transit systems, although they are both operated by
StarMetro. The buses and bus stop signs look completely
different, making it easy to distinguish which system serves a
certain location.
StarMetro’s brand uses white, blue and red with the star logo for
identification. Buses are white, and stops are identified by the
white, blue and red star signs. The Seminole Express uses garnet
and gold (FSU colors) instead of white to offer a contrast. Buses
and bus stop signs are gold and garnet with the arrowhead icon.
Bus stops served by both systems will be signed for both.
Source: Renaissance Planning
Group
8
Source: Renaissance Planning Group
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
StarMetro uses a generic number system for its routes. The multitude of different routes and
colors make the StarMetro rider guide difficult to use. FSU’s Seminole Express uses route names
instead of numbers to identify routes. The school spirit inspired names do not identify the
destinations that each route serves, and are not more useful than a simple numbering system. Both
systems distribute a rider guide with system route maps and schedules. Seminole bus stop signs
include posted route and schedule information. Neither system uses real-time GPS technology for
rider information. While comparable in branding techniques, RTS’s rider information exceeds that
of StarMetro.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
The University of Illinois relies on the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) to provide
bus service in and around campus for students, faculty and staff. Seven of the 17 MTD bus routes
connect to and internally serve the campus. Map 3 shows the system map of the ChampaignUrbana MTD.
MTD is a very user-friendly transit system. The route identification is simple and easy to
understand. Routes have both a route number and name; the name is usually a color with a few
exceptions. Spelling out the name of the color allows the system to have a large number of routes
without duplicating colors. Even though the colors of the Bronze, Brown and Gold routes may be
difficult to differentiate on a system map, the name and numbers (8 Bronze, 9 Brown, and 10 Gold)
helps to clarify routes. Buses display the route number, direction, color and end-of-line
destination, ensuring that riders know exactly which bus they are boarding and where it is going.
Source: Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
What sets MTD apart from most other transit agencies is its use of real-time GPS technology,
known as STOPwatch technology, and the breadth and depth of information available to its riders.
The Google Transit Search feature on the MTD website allows you to find the exact location of the
nearest bus stop by entering a street, business or landmark. The website also allows you to find
which routes serve a specific bus stop and when the next buses will arrive. Figure 1 demonstrates
the website interface that shows riders which buses are serving a particular stop and their estimated
time of departure from that stop.
Figure 1: Bus Stop Lookup Screenshot
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
STOPwatch technology is available on the internet, mobile phones via text messages, and displayed
at the bus stops. Each bus stop provides continuously updated real-time information on next bus
arrivals. Technology-savvy customers have a variety of ways to use the software, making transit
information always available and using the transit system increasingly convenient. Riders can even
sign up for custom alerts on their most-used routes. RTS riders would benefit from integrating a
variety of real-time services in addition to the TransLOC application. Increasing the availability and
avenues of information will appeal to choice riders.
Source: Imran Sobh (Flickr)
Date of photos: March 12, 2008
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
The University of Michigan is separated into North Campus and South Campus, divided by a
national arboretum. The University operates its own bus system with 11 bus routes in and between
campuses. Routes are identified by descriptive names only, no color or numbering system exists.
For example, the Commuter route serves the major parking lots, and the Northwood route serves
the Northwood housing areas on the North Campus. The university bus system uses neither
numbers nor colors to identify its routes. In fact, it does not have a system-wide map available on
its website.
It does have real-time GPS technology called Magic Bus that shows the location of each bus in the
transit system and estimates the expected wait at any transit stop. This technology is very similar to
what the University of Florida has with TransLoc.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
The Ride is Ann Arbor's city transit agency, and has eight routes that serve the University and
connect to downtown Ann Arbor. It also serves Ypsilanti, a town to the east of Ann Arbor. Map 4
shows the system maps for The Ride. The Ride identifies its routes with a generic number and
color system. The two systems are not well integrated. Route schedules and maps for The Ride
identify the possible transfers to university routes at major stops, but do not provide information on
where the university routes go. Similarly, the rider information for the university buses does not
include any information on The Ride. Bus stops provide limited information on routes and transfer
opportunities.
Although comparable in other characteristics, the University of Michigan’s campus bus service is
inferior compared to the services RTS provides for the University of Florida.
Source: Allison Gorsuch (Flickr)
Date of photo: Apr 25, 2009
Source: Roland (Picasa)
Date of photo: Nov 4, 2008
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL
The Town of Chapel Hill, in partnership with UNC and the Town of Carrboro, operates Chapel
Hill Transit (CHT), a free bus transit system within the town. CHT provides local transit service
for the University and its medical facilities. Map 5 shows the system and campus maps for Chapel
Hill Transit. The routes are named corresponding to the areas which they serve, although this is
not always the case. For example the CL route serves Colony Lake, Sage Road and UNC
Hospitals; however, the D route serves Culbreth Road, Franklin Street and Eastowne. CHT does
not use a coordinated numbering or coloring system to identify its routes.
Some of CHT’s bus stops have signs that display real-time information on when the next bus is
coming. Although RTS’s TransLOC technology provides real-time information for smart phone
users, displaying information on the next bus arrival at the bus stops would benefit all passengers.
Source: NextBus
Triangle Transit is a regional transit system that focuses on serving region-wide commuter trips. It
uses a generic numbering system for route identification. The two transit systems have specific
color schemes that are easily distinguishable, which differs from the way RTS integrates campus and
city service.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Source: Tastyduck (Wikimedia Commons)
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
Source: Ildar Sagdejev (Wikimedia Commons)
The University of Virginia operates University Transit
Service (UTS), which provides free service through the
campus and hospital, sports facilities, and off-site
parking locations with six bus routes. The routes are
named according to the areas they serve. Like Chapel
Hill Transit, there is no consistent numbering or
coloring system for identification.
The City of Charlottesville operates Charlottesville
Area Transit (CAT), which provides service to the City
and parts of Northern Albemarle County, and offers
the Free Trolley, which connects the University area to
downtown Charlottesville. Map 6 shows the system
maps for CAT and UTS.
The Trolley bus is distinguishable because of its green
color. Charlottesville’s transit information guide
provides system maps, route maps and schedules for Source: City of Charlottesville website
both UTS and CAT systems. At certain bus stops, a
“bus finder” provides information on the arrival time of the next bus. RTS’s TransLOC technology
provides more information and is more convenient than CAT’s bus finder.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
RECOMMENDATIONS
Providing a comprehensive campus map that includes both campus routes and city routes that serve
the campus may be a graphic design challenge, but it will assist campus riders in understanding the
variety of routes available at different areas around the campus.
RTS should continue to develop GPS technology applications for rider information. Displaying
real-time information at transit stops will allow riders without smart phones to know when the
next bus will arrive. The Champaign-Urbana MTD’s variety of STOPwatch services is a model for
the developing rider information tools to make transit most convenient in the digital age.
To continue the color-identification theme of the routes, the route signs could be revised to show
the RTS logo at the top with blades below showing route information. The blades could be
removed as route changes occur, reducing the cost of updating the signs.
Providing route information at bus stops will help first-time riders and passengers without smart
phones understand the system. Blades underneath the bus stop sign display route information and
schedules and can be easily changed without taking down the whole sign.
RTS should continue to implement its new color scheme and look for ways to better differentiate
between the campus and city buses.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Map 1: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Florida: Regional Transit System City Routes
Source: Regional Transit System, October 25, 2010
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Map 2 Route Maps of Peer Universities – Florida State University: StarMetro
Source: StarMetro, City of Tallahassee, October 25, 2010.
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Map 3: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign: Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District
Source: Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, October 25, 2010
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Map 4: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Michigan: The Ride
Source: The Ride, October 25, 2010.
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Map 5: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Chapel Hill Transit
Source: Town of Chapel Hill, October 25, 2010
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Map 6: Route Maps of Peer Universities – University of Virginia: University Transit System
Source: Charlottesville Area Transit, City of Charlottesville
Source: University Transit Service, University of Virginia
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FACULTY CAB SERVICE
The University of Florida’s Physical Plant Division provides a free cab service for faculty and staff.
The Campus Cab service is intended for point-to-point transportation for official university
business on the Main Campus, Eastside Campus and Human Resources office. Reservations for the
cab service must be made at least 60 minutes in advance. This service is in operation Monday
through Friday from 7:45 AM to 4:15 PM.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the analysis was to determine the effectiveness of the Campus Cab service,
especially since this service is provided in addition to the extensive bus transit coverage of the
university campus.
COMPARISON RESEARCH
Research was conducted to see if other universities offer a similar service and possible performance
metrics used to monitor the performance of the service. The University of Florida is unique among
its peers in offering a free on-campus cab service to faculty and staff for university business during
normal business hours. Many other universities like the University of Michigan, Florida State
University, Indiana University, and the University of Wisconsin provide a cab service in the event
that a student or university employee has a need for transportation after the daily bus service has
ended, usually referred to as a Guaranteed/Emergency Ride Home program. At the University of
Wisconsin, the Morgridge Center for Public Service will provide free cab rides to students who
volunteer at least eight times during a semester.
ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY
The Physical Plant Division (PPD) of the University of Florida provided count data for the cab
service for September 2010. These data documented how many times within the month the service
was used at each location. The data did not differentiate trip origins from destinations; it simply
provided the number of times the service was used at a location. University employees used the
cab service for a total of 2,288 pick-ups and drop-offs in September at 72 different locations. At 26
locations, the number of pick-ups and drop-offs exceeded 20 in that month, accounting for 2,010
trips or 88 percent of the total trips. These 26 locations were plotted with the campus and city
route alignments, as shown in Map 7.
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Map 7: Top 26 Most Popular Campus Cab Pick-up and Drop-off Locations
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RESULTS
Five of the 26 locations are not served directly by the campus bus routes, including the top two
locations, as shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Campus Cab Locations Not Directly Served by Campus Bus Routes
#
SEP 2010
CAB COUNT
LOCATION
1
Human Resources Building (Bldg #3381)
251
2
Health Prof, Nursing & Pharmacy (HPNP) (Bldg #212)
227
9
Academic Research Building (Bldg #201)
80
14
Entomology-Nematology Building (Bldg #970)
60
18
East Campus Office Building (Bldg #1628)
52
These five locations have a total of 670 trips, accounting for one-third of the trips within the 26
locations. All five locations are served by the city routes, but the city routes do not provide
connecting services to other destinations within the campus. Although the majority of trips occur
at locations where campus transit service is available, the campus cab service provides a unique link
to university facilities outside of the campus transit service area. The entrances of the HPNP and
Academic Research Building are located just a few hundred feet away from the bus stops along
Center Drive. However, faculty and staff members may prefer to use the campus cab service
because of the door-to-door convenience. The notion that the bus transit is provided for the
students may also factor in to employee’s preference to take the campus cab.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The existing campus cab service appears to fill a void in connectivity and convenience as
demonstrated by its usage, and it should be continued until such time that more streamlined and
connected campus service can be provided. This service offers a travel time savings as long as the
rider remembers to call in advance. In the meantime, it should periodically be monitored to
determine adjustments that should be made.
A 2009 Transportation & Parking Survey conducted by UF indicated that 84% of faculty and staff
parking permit holders never use the Campus Cab service, and only 3% of respondents use the
Campus Cab frequently. In the same survey, 37% of respondents indicated they would be more
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likely to use on-campus transit if there was “on-demand door-to-door service.” These results
indicate that there may be a lack of awareness of the service among faculty and staff.
To more effectively evaluate the Campus Cab service, the Physical Plant Division could establish
acceptable performance measures and track relevant data (such as number of weekly trips and trip
origins and destinations). A database of more detailed usage statistics will help to identify ways to
improve the effectiveness of the cab service and could be compared to the costs of operating the
service.
DIRECTNESS TO DESTINATIONS
Transportation is always a means to an end. People will generally choose the travel mode and
route that is the quickest and most convenient. In order to provide the best and fastest service for
its riders, a transit system must reach main destinations quickly and directly. Combining transit
routes to serve multiple destinations may become too circuitous and increase the travel time to get
from a certain origin to a destination. Conversely, having too many direct routes may cause riders
inconvenience because of necessary transfers from one route to another. Transit agencies must find
a balance between the two to provide convenient and attractive service from point to point within
the entire transit service area.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the analysis was to determine whether the current RTS routes connect campus
destinations efficiently. This analysis focused on answering whether the bus routes are taking the
most direct route relative to other potential route alignments. It is not a comparison of
transportation modes. The results of the analysis do not indicate whether taking the bus is easier,
more convenient, or more efficient than walking or driving. It simply indicates whether the
current RTS routes are too circuitous or inefficient.
METHODOLOGY
Five major on-campus destinations (attractors) and eight major on-campus generators were
selected for analysis. These particular destinations were selected because they are large buildings/
facilities and are used by a large number of students, faculty and staff members. To determine
whether the current bus routes provide direct service between these generators and attractors, the
shortest on-road distance between each generator and attractor was compared to the distance
traveled by a passenger riding the bus between the two points. For consistency, this analysis
assumes the starting points and end points are the bus stops located along the street closest to the
actual building and that buses can travel along these streets. Further detailed analysis would be
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required to determine any specific physical constraints that would limit bus movement in these
areas. These starting and end points are described below and shown in Map 8. Table 3 shows the
routes that serve each of these stops. The five attractors and their mapping points are:
1. Criser Hall & Union Drive: Walker Hall transit stop on the south side of Union Drive
2. Turlington Plaza & Newell Drive: Turlington Hall transit stop at the intersection of Stadium
Road and Newell Drive
3. Reitz Union & McCarty Drive: Reitz Student Union transit stop on McCarty Drive, just north
of the intersection with Museum Road
4. Health Science Center & Center Drive: Shands Hospital at Basic Science Building transit stop
on the west side of Center Drive, north of the intersection with Mowry Road
5. The Hub & Stadium Road: The Hub transit stop where Stadium Road becomes Buckman
Drive, between the Hub building and the Computer Sciences/Engineering building
The eight generators and their mapping points are:
1. Beaty Towers & Museum Road: Beaty Towers transit stop on south side of Museum Road,
west of SW 13th Street
2. Park and Ride Lot 1 & Cultural Plaza: Cultural Plaza Park and Ride 1 transit stop within Park
and Ride Lot 1 off of Hull Road.
3. Commuter Lot & Gale Lemerand Drive: Commuter Lot Parking Garage transit stop on the
west side of Gale Lemerand Drive, across from the water reclamation sludge building
4. Hume Hall & Museum Road: Hume Hall transit stop on the south side of Museum Road, in
front of the Hume East Residence building
5. Springs Residential Complex & Stadium Road: Springs Residential Buildings transit stop on
Fraternity Drive, west of the intersection with SW 23rd Street
6. Corry Village / Law School & Village Drive: Corry Village transit stop on Village Drive at
the intersection with Corry Circle and West Fraternity Row
7. Lakeside Complex & Radio Road: Lakeside Residential Buildings transit stop on the south
side of Radio Road in front of Lakeside Commons
8. Maguire Village / Wellness Center & Radio Road: Maguire Village transit stop along the
west side of Bledsoe Drive, across from Maguire Field and the Recreation Sports Maintenance
Building
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Table 3: RTS Campus Bus Routes Serving each Destination and Generator
Destination/Generator Bus Stop
RTS Campus Routes Serving Bus
Stop
Criser Hall
Turlington Plaza
Reitz Union
Health Science Center
The Hub
Beaty Towers
Park and Ride Lot 1/Cultural Plaza
Commuter Lot
Hume Hall
Springs Residential Complex
Corry Village/Law School
Lakeside Complex
Maguire Village/Wellness Center
121, 126, 127
120, 122, 125, 127
117, 120, 122, 125, 126
117, 121, 122, 126
118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 125, 126
121, 126, 127
118
121, 122, 126
118, 120, 125, 126
119, 120, 125, 126
119
119, 125, 126
119, 125, 126
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Map 8: Origins and Destinations
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The RTS spring 2010 City & Campus Bus Schedule provided information on the bus routes and bus
stops. The fall 2010 schedule was released after the analysis was completed. The slight differences
of route additions and deviations do not affect the analysis results.
The shortest on-road distance between each of the destinations was calculated using Google Maps
driving directions. The distance traveled by taking the bus was determined assuming that
passengers prefer to utilize the routes that serve the bus stops from which their trip starts and ends.
A more direct route may be available by walking to another bus stop, as noted in the footnotes of
Table 5. Of the routes that serve the starting and end bus stops, the calculated distance assumes
passengers will take the most direct route available and avoid transferring to a second bus route.
The analysis did not consider frequency of the routes as a factor in route choice; only distance to
destinations. Frequency is a temporal factor, whereas distance is a spatial factor. Only RTS
campus routes were used in the analysis.
The objective of the analysis is to determine whether the existing bus routes are traveling the most
direct route; it does not account for factors that would influence other transportation modes such
as the parking availability or the location of internal pedestrian and bike paths. The travel distances
include only roads where vehicles are permitted.
ANALYSIS
Most of the campus attractors are within one mile of each other and within two miles of campus
generators. Bus travel distances vary. Most are within two miles; some reach five miles or more.
Table 4 shows the shortest on-road travel distance as calculated by Google Maps. The shortest onroad travel distances from any of the five attractors to any of the attractors are one mile or less.
Generally, the shortest on-road travel distance between a generator and an attractor ranges
between one and two miles. Beaty Towers, the Commuter Lot and Hume Hall are within one mile
of the campus attractors. One mile is roughly a 20 minute walk. A person may prefer to walk to a
destination that is one mile away or closer, especially if the service is not directly to the destination
or from the origin.
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Criser Hall
Turlington Plaza
Reitz Union
Health Science Center
The Hub
Beaty Towers
Park and Ride Lot 1/ Cultural Plaza
Commuter Lot
Hume Hall
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
Maguire Village/ Wellness Center
The Hub
3
Lakeside Complex
Health Science Center
2
Corry Village/ Law School
Reitz Union
1
Springs Residential Complex
Turlington Plaza
From
Criser Hall
Shortest On-Road Travel
Distance (miles)
To
Table 4: Shortest Driving Distance to Destinations
10 11 12 13
0.2 0.6 0.9 0.3 0.6 2.3 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.2 1.8 2.1
2 0.2
0.4 0.7 0.2 0.4 2.1 0.8 0.7 0.9 1.2 1.6 1.9
3 0.6 0.4
0.4 0.6 0.4 1.7 0.4 0.3 0.9 1.0 1.2 1.5
4 0.9 0.7 0.4
1.0 0.8 1.4 0.5 0.6 1.2 1.3 1.6 1.8
5 0.3 0.2 0.6 1.0
Beaty Towers
6 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.7
Park and Ride Lot 1/ Cultural Plaza
7 2.3 2.1 1.7 1.4 2.0
Commuter Lot
8 1.0 0.9 0.4 0.5 0.8
Hume Hall
9 0.9 0.7 0.3 0.6 0.7
Springs Residential Complex
10 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.2 0.7
Corry Village/ Law School
11 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.3 1.0
Lakeside Complex
12 1.9 1.7 1.3 1.5 1.6
Maguire Village/ Wellness Center
13 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.9
0.7 2.1 0.8 0.7 0.7 1.0 1.6 1.9
Attractors
Generators
Table 5 shows the distance a passenger would travel while riding the bus. The background color of
the cells corresponds to the route traveled. The white cells indicate there is no direct service
connection between the starting bus stop and end bus stop, and the details of the routes taken are
described in the table’s footnotes. Route 117 was considered in the analysis, but was not selected
for any trip as the other routes provided more direct service.
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Table 5: Bus Travel Distance to Destinations
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A handful of the trips are not served directly by the campus routes, as indicated in white, due to the
loop style routes. Passengers can usually walk to a nearby stop to access a more direct route, or
simply walk when the distance is a half mile or less.
The bus travel distances range from 0.2 miles to 7.5 miles, with the average around two miles.
The average of shortest on-road travel distances is one mile. Routes 122 (UF North/South
Circulator) and 126 (UF East/West Circulator) generally have longer travel distances because their
routes are longer and they serve more destinations. Because the routes travel in a loop, the
distance to travel in one direction may be significantly longer than the other direction. For
example, Route 126 travels 1.0 miles from the Springs Residential Complex to Criser Hall, but it
takes 5.2 miles to travel from Criser Hall to the Springs Residential Complex.
Many of the trips to and from the Park and Ride Lot 1 transit stop and Corry Village require a
transfer between bus routes. These trips are shown in white in Table 3, and explained in the
footnotes to the table. Generally, students coming from Corry Village must transfer at the Hub to
catch another bus route that serves the eastern portion of campus and Museum Road. When
returning to Corry Village, several of the bus routes loop towards Corry Village (i.e. Route 120
West Circulator and Route 126 UF East/West Connector). A passenger could take one of these
routes without transferring; in this case they would get off at Fraternity Row and walk the rest of
the way.
The Park and Ride Lot 1 transit stop is only served directly by one campus route. Route 118 serves
the western portion of campus and terminates at the Hub. Two weekday city routes serve this
transit stop (Routes 20 and 21); however neither go further into campus than Reitz Union, which is
where Route 117 terminates as well, providing minimal additional service coverage to on-campus
destinations. No direct service connection exists from the Park and Ride Lot 1 transit stop to four
of the five campus attractors. To access the campus attractors from Park and Ride Lot 1,
passengers can transfer at the Hub and ride less than a half-mile to reach their destination. The
return trips are significantly longer; passengers must ride the connecting routes for most of their
loop before reaching the Hub to transfer to Route 118. Alternatively, passengers could walk the
distance between the Hub and the final destination to avoid waiting for a transfer; however this was
inconsistent with the assumptions of the analysis. These alternative options are noted in the
footnotes of Table 5.
Table 6 shows the difference between the shortest on-road distance and the bus travel distance, if
any, and highlights those trips where taking the bus would result in a one-mile deviation or more
with red font.
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In four instances, the distance traveled by the bus is greater than the shortest on-road travel
distance by four miles or more, as highlighted in yellow in Table 6:
•
•
•
•
Reitz Union to Beaty Towers on Route 126
Hume Hall to Health Science Center on Route 126
Reitz Union to Criser Hall on Route 126
Criser Hall to Springs Residential Complex on Route 126
Blank cells indicate that the bus travels the most direct on-road travel distance.
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Table 6: Difference between Bus Travel Distance and Shortest Road Distance
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Assuming the bus travels at an average speed of nine miles per hour, Table 7 converts the distance
difference from Table 6 to minutes. These numbers represent the extra time a passenger spends
riding the bus compared to if the bus traveled the shortest on-road distance between that
passenger’s starting and end stops. The average travel speed of nine miles per hour accounts for
dwell time at transit stops (time allocated for passengers boarding and alighting). An average travel
time of nine miles per hour is a RTS-specific performance standard. Similar to other campus
experiences, nine miles per hour is an average speed that can be achieved in a dense urban setting
with a high level of pedestrian activity. Accounting for this assumption, the four longest trips are
over 25 minutes and highlighted in yellow.
Table 7: Difference in Travel Time between Driving and Taking the Bus
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RESULTS
Generally the areas that have the longest bus travel times are the areas in the southwestern portions
of campus, as all of the campus attractors are located in the northeastern side of campus. Corry
Village and the Park and Ride Lot 1 are particularly challenging because the routes that directly
serve these areas do not directly connect to other parts of the campus.
Several of these attractors are within easy walking distance of the destinations. Reitz Union is
centrally located, only 0.4 miles away from Beaty Towers and 0.6 miles from Criser Hall. Hume
Hall is only 0.6 miles from the Health Science Center. Most people will choose to walk 10 minutes
instead of waiting for the bus for such a short distance.
Many of these longer bus travel times are due to the looping bus routes. The origins and
destinations may be close to each other, but because the bus travels in only one direction the bus
will take the long way around. For example, Route 126 travels directly from the Springs
Residential Complex to Criser Hall. From there it continues to the east to serve the eastern
campus boundary, travels south along Center Drive and around the Engineering buildings, and
loops to serve the Lakeside complex and Corry Village before returning to Springs. Most likely,
riders will walk less than one quarter-mile to the Turlington Hall bus stop and take Route 120 to
Springs, only a 1.3 mile bus ride.
The Park and Ride Lot 1 transit stop is only served by one campus route. To reach on campus
destinations, passengers can take Route 118 to the Hub and either transfer to another bus or walk
the remaining distand.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Ultimately the campus bus routes provide a good balance between serving multiple destinations and
providing direct service. Inherently, transit routes do not provide the most direct path of travel
when multiple destinations are considered. Further, transit routes must be designed within the
context of resources allocated for the services provided. More direct service equates to more
allocation of resources (capital investments in buses and operational expenses). To further cause
complexity, university settings provide a unique travel dynamic, in that individuals travel between
multiple locations that both serve as origins and destinations. A campus transit route system must
be able to accommodate multiple alternatives to reach multiple locations in order to effectively
serve the targeted transit users. Because of this, a loop type route style is used. If transit routes
were to be realigned to provide specific direct service, there will be locations with no access to
transit service. It can be assumed that some individuals will walk further to a bus stop or choose to
walk to a destination that is not served, but this will have an impact on ridership as well as campus
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transportation service satisfaction. Given these dynamics, the services designed by RTS effectively
achieve the balance of serving key locations and travel time. Because of the loop style routes,
passengers have options to take different routes between multiple destinations in one day. No route
adjustments are recommended at this time.
INTERFACE OF CITY AND CAMPUS BUSES (SUPPLY VS. DEMAND)
In addition to the nine campus routes that operate solely within the campus, nine RTS city routes
travel through the campus to serve Reitz Union and 10 other city routes serve the campus
boundary. These routes provide services to and from campus destinations and major off-campus
destinations such as the Butler Plaza shopping center, Oaks Mall, downtown, and off-campus
apartment complexes. The city routes traverse many different roads within the campus, offering
convenient “one seat” service to a variety of on campus destinations.
The 19 city routes that travel through the UF campus along with the nine campus routes contribute
to heavy traffic and noise within the campus, particularly at prime destinations. For instance, a
total of 14 buses, including nine city and five campus routes, serve the Reitz Student Union in the
center of campus.
The large number of routes that travel into the campus begs the question whether service can be
consolidated to reduce the number of routes going into campus without sacrificing service quality.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the analysis was to determine whether RTS could create transfer points and alter
the city routes that provide service to campus, eliminating some routes from penetrating the
campus core. The following discussion provides suggested improvements to decrease the number
of city buses within the campus boundaries while maintaining convenient transit service. The
following analysis assesses the tradeoffs associated with decreasing the number of routes going into
campus, and determines whether consolidating the number of routes and increasing the frequency
of the remaining routes will provide better service overall. While this approach may simplify the
system, providing more frequent service will increase the reliability of the system. Consolidating
routes will likely elevate the need to provide transfer facilities. This assessment will determine
whether there is overwhelming evidence that changing the route structures significantly improves
the transit system.
METHODOLOGY
RTS provided 2009 ridership data from the Transit Boardings Estimation and Simulation Tool
(TBEST), containing boardings data for each stop by time of day. RTS also provided GIS shapefiles
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of the location of the city and campus routes. The PM boardings for each stop were mapped along
with the campus and city routes. Each city route that borders or travels through the campus was
analyzed to determine which major destinations it served, by looking at the PM boardings for each
campus stop. Overlaps between campus and city routes were identified. Recommendations
include strategies for creating a better campus/city route service interface so that fewer city routes
go into the campus. This analysis specifically looked at the city route alignments within the UF
campus; it did not specifically look at the function or service of the routes outside of campus.
The 2009 RTS Transit Development Plan (TDP) was reviewed for content regarding the interface
between campus and city routes.
IMPLICATIONS OF STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
The 2009 Transit Development Plan lists Reitz Union and the UF Park-N-Ride lots as two of the
five major route anchors. Reitz Union is within the campus core; minimizing the number of buses
that travel through the campus core will require many city bus routes to end at the campus
boundary instead of traveling through campus to reach Reitz Union. This will require transfer
facilities to be designated around the campus fringe to provide convenient transfers between city
and campus buses. This may also have implications for campus bus capacities.
The City of Gainesville’s Comprehensive Plan notes the need for better transfer facilities in both
the City Transit Priorities and Transit System Capital Needs discussions. The Comprehensive Plan
also mentions the potential need for busways along University Avenue and Archer Road. Further,
the Year 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan identifies the Archer Road and Newberry Road
corridors as key for future Bus Rapid Transit within the community to provide transportation
option into the UF area and downtown Gainesville.
Generally, realigning many of the city routes to avoid penetrating inner campus roads will require
transfer facilities along the campus edge to maintain overall service quality for the UF campus.
Transfer facilities with benches, shelters and real-time bus information will provide comfortable
and convenient waiting areas for students and other persons on campus traveling to off-campus
destinations. While it may be useful to simplify the on-campus bus network and reduce overlap, it
is important to consider the effects of adding transfers which might make the system less effective at
taking cars off the road. Eliminating many of these route portions will result in passengers having
to walk farther from the transit stop to reach their final destination or transferring to another route.
In addition, this adds a transfer for many riders, another disincentive. Generally, transit riders are
willing to transfer once, if they must, but not twice, especially for bus-to-bus transfers.
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ANALYSIS AND RESULTS BY ROUTE
ROUTE 1
Currently, Route 1 serves as a primary connector for Rogers Hall and Beaty Towers, providing
access to off-campus destination for students. Route 1 could deviate along Archer Road to SW 13th
Street and connect to SW 8th Avenue heading east to avoid traveling along Center Drive and
Museum Road. There are no turn restrictions at the intersection of SW 8th Avenue and SW 13th
Street that would prevent buses from making a northbound right turn or westbound left turn. The
westbound exclusive left turn lane has a separate left turn signal phase. The northbound right turn
may be difficult because of the small curb radii as shown below, but it looks like this turn is
maneuverable.
Intersection of SW 13th Street and SW 8th Avenue Facing South
Students at Reitz Union would walk about a half-mile to access Route 1 from the intersection of
Center Drive and Museum Road. To facilitate a seamless transition for passengers on Route 1 and
other city routes to transfer to Campus Route 122, a bus stop along Archer Road at the approach to
the Center Drive intersection should be provided with a shelter and a bench at a minimum. A bus
bay should be constructed along the approach to the intersection.
Deviating Route 1 would also require a waiting place for transfers so passengers can connect to
Campus Routes 121, 126 and 127. The existing Beaty Towers transit stop would suffice as an
adequate location; however passengers would have to get off the bus at the intersection of SW 13th
Street and Museum Road and walk about 200 feet to the Beaty Towers bus stop.
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ROUTE 5
Route 5 is providing a connection that does not travel through the campus core. There are no
recommendations for this route.
ROUTE 8 AND ROUTE 29
Route 8 connects city destinations north of campus to Shands Hospital, penetrating the campus
through Center Drive and Museum Road. This route should remain in alignment unless buses
could turn around somewhere close to the hospital to avoid traveling on Center Drive and Museum
Road.
The main entrance to Shands off of Archer Road has a loop feature. Buses might be able to turn
around at this location; however there may be temporarily parked cars or other obstructions that
would make it difficult for buses to maneuver within that space. Allowing buses at this location
would increase the accessibility of the hospital to transit riders.
Loop Configuration at Shands Main Entrance
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Route 29, reinstated as of Fall 2009, is essentially serving the same purpose as Route 8, providing
student access to the Walmart and apartments behind it. Route 8 extends north to serve residential
areas. These two routes should be combined to reduce the number of buses penetrating the
campus. The new route should generally follow the alignment of Route 8, with two exceptions:
Add a loop to serve the apartments along NW 29th Road behind the Walmart and Lowe’s.
Remove the loop along Center Drive and Museum Road. Terminate route at Shands Hospital and utilize
the bus turnaround at the main Shands Hospital entrance.
Headways on the new Route 8 should be decreased to 15 minutes, to achieve the same frequency as
Route 29 provided.
ROUTES 9, 35, 36 AND 38
These four routes essentially connect high ridership generators within the campus to the apartment
complexes south of campus, providing a one-seat ride from housing to the center of campus. These
routes should be adjusted to serve as residential circulators providing connections to a transfer
facility at the intersection of Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand Drive, reducing the number of buses
penetrating the campus core. Because these routes serve high ridership stops, facilitating transfers
would put more demand on existing Campus Routes 117, 121, 122 and 126. Alternatively, these
routes could terminate at Archer Road and Gale Lemerand Drive to further avoid entering campus.
However, this transfer location would only provide a connection to Campus Route 122.
ROUTE 10
Route 10 does not travel through the campus, but provides a direct connection to the downtown
transit station from SW 13th Street. SW 13th Street at Museum Road is an ideal location for a
transfer facility for students to transfer from campus buses to city buses. There are no
recommendations for Route 10.
ROUTE 12
Route 12 provides access from the Butler Plaza shopping center to the Reitz Student Union and
other central campus destinations.
As part of the 2009 Transit Development Plan
recommendations, Route 12 service hours were extended to 3:00 AM. Route 1 duplicates many
aspects of the Route 12 service. These two routes should be combined into one route with
increased frequency and adjusted to serve the Gateway of Gainesville, Publix and Stoneridge
apartments such that passengers will experience the same quality of service. Alternatively, the
route could travel to the intersection of Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand Drive to facilitate
transfers to the campus bus routes. This would decrease the number of buses within the campus,
but would necessitate adequate transfer facilities and would place more demand on the campus bus
routes.
41
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
ROUTES 13, 16 AND 17
All three of these routes loop within campus to serve Beaty Towers, Shands Hospital and the
Veterans Affairs Medical Center via Museum Road, Newell Drive, SW 16th Street, and SW 16th
Avenue. The inner campus loop could be realigned so that buses turn onto Archer Road instead of
Museum Road, thereby avoiding inner campus roads. The potential loop at the Shands Hospital
main entrance could be used to access Shands and continue on to SW 16th Street.
Realigning these routes to avoid Museum Road and Newell Drive would require significant changes
to the campus transit service. No bus stops currently exist along Archer Road between SW 13th
Street and SW 16th Street. Adding stops along higher speed Archer Road may be difficult without
roadway design modifications to reduce traffic speeds. An adequate transfer facility along either
Archer Road or SW 13th Street would be necessary to provide safe transfers from the city routes to
the campus routes. Additionally, the campus routes would need to be extended to Archer Road.
Realigning these routes would result in significant service changes without providing many benefits.
No changes to these routes are recommended.
ROUTES 20 AND 21
These routes are connecting the campus to major off-campus residential and retail destinations.
Eliminating the portions of these routes that go through campus would require a significant transfer
facility. This could be at Park and Ride Lot 2 where Campus Route 117 currently provides service.
The buses could loop around the parking lot and start their return trip from there. Alternatively,
Routes 20 and 21 could loop around eastbound Hull Road to northbound Bledsoe Drive to
westbound Radio Road and begin the return trip. Passengers could transfer to Campus Routes
119, 125, and 126 along Bledsoe Drive between Hull Road and Radio Road. This location is
ultimately recommended. Park and Ride Lot 1 is another option for a termination point for Routes
20 and 21.
Routes 20 and 21 could potentially be combined to minimize the number of buses traveling
through the inner campus roads.
42
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
ROUTE 22
Route 22, added to the RTS system in fall 2009, serves several apartment complexes west of
campus, traveling along Archer Road, Old Archer Road, SW 23rd Drive, Mowry Road and Center
Drive. This route could be changed to stop at Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand Drive, where
passengers could transfer to Campus Routes 117, 121, 122 and 126 to access campus destinations.
To further remove this route from campus, it could be terminated at the intersection of Mowry
Road and SW 23rd Drive and would only connect to Campus Route 117. Alternatively, it could be
combined with Route 21 and provide service to a transfer facility along Bledsoe Drive between
Hull Road and Radio Road.
ROUTE 34
Route 34 connects the apartment complexes south of campus to the Hub and provides peripheral
service to the western and northern sides of campus via SW 34th Street and SW 2nd Avenue. This
route travels through the campus core and auto restricted zone. To avoid going through the heart
of campus, Route 34 should be realigned to travel eastbound on Stadium Road, northbound on
Gale Lemerand Drive and westbound on SW 2nd Avenue.
ROUTE 43
Route 43 travels through campus along Museum Road and Center Drive to access Shands Hospital.
Instead of going through campus, buses could continue southbound on SW 13th Street, turn right
to go west on Archer Road, use the turnaround at the Shands Hospital main entrance to provide
access to the hospital, go westbound on Archer Road and continue onto SW 9th Road. There are
no apparent turn restrictions at this intersection.
RECOMMENDATIONS
To minimize bus traffic and noise within the campus, it is recommended that some of the city
routes could be adjusted to avoid traveling through campus. This would lessen the convenience of
on-campus passengers who want to access off-campus destinations like the residential complexes
south of the campus, the airport or mall and make it more difficult for students and faculty
members who live off campus to access on campus destinations. To ease the transition, RTS should
provide adequate transfer facilities with benches and bus shelters at strategic locations so passengers
have a safe and comfortable place to wait. Real-time rider information should be provided at these
transfer facilities to increase the convenience of transferring. Route recommendations are
summarized in Table 8.
43
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Table 8: Route Recommendations to Decrease On-Campus Bus Traffic
ROUTE
RECOMMENDATION
1
Deviate along Archer Road to SW 13th
Street and connect to SW 8th Avenue
heading east to avoid traveling along
Center Drive and Museum Road.
5
8
9, 35,
36, 38
DETAILS
ADDITIONAL
MILEAGE
-0.23
No recommendations
Provide a bus stop along Archer Road at
approaches to Center Drive. Provide a
bus stop at intersection of SW 13th
Street and Museum Road for transfers
to campus routes.
-
Replace Route 29 and increase frequency
to 15-minute headways.
Add a loop to serve the apartments
along NW 29th Road behind Wal-Mart.
2.25
-0.44
Serve primarily as a residential circulator
with access to Hull Road/Mowry Road
Remove loop along Center Drive and
Museum Road. Terminate route at
Shands Hospital and utilize bus
turnaround at main Shands Hospital
entrance
Terminate Route 9 at Mowry Road &
Gale Lemerand Drive intersection
Terminate Route 35 at Mowry Road &
Gale Lemerand Drive intersection
-1.7
Terminate Route 36 at Mowry Road &
Gale Lemerand Drive intersection
-1.8
Terminate Route 38 at Mowry Road &
Gale Lemerand Drive intersection
-2.6
-
-1.8
10
No recommendations
-
-
12
Combine with Route 1, or adjust to
terminate near campus edge
Eliminate Route 12 and adjust Route 1
to serve Gateway of Gainesville and
Publix
Terminate Route 12 at the intersection
of Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand
Drive
Terminate routes at southwest portion
of campus. Realign end of route to loop
counterclockwise along eastbound Hull
Road, northbound Bledsoe Drive, and
westbound Radio Road.
Terminate service at intersection of
Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand Drive
-7.01
Eliminate Route 22 and add loop to
serve Ventura and The Woods to Route
21
1.67
20, 21
22
Combine and eliminate portions that
travel through campus. Provide
connection to campus routes along
Bledsoe Drive between Hull Road and
Radio Road.
Adjust to end service at Mowry Road or
combine with Route 20/21
-1.8
-3.4
-1.8
44
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
ROUTE
RECOMMENDATION
DETAILS
ADDITIONAL
MILEAGE
29
Combine with Route 8
Eliminate Route 29 and adjust Route 8
as previously described
-
34
Realign route to avoid campus core and
University Avenue
-0.9
43
Adjust route to avoid traveling on
Museum Road and Newell Drive
Adjust route to travel eastbound on
Stadium Road, northbound on Gale
Lemerand Drive and westbound on SW
2nd Avenue
Adjust route to continue south on SW
13th St and utilize main Shands Hospital
entrance for bus turnaround, continuing
on to SW 9th Road
0.1
The service changes recommended above should be coupled with the addition of several new bus
stops to facilitate transfers between city and campus routes. These transfer facilities should include
a bus shelter and a bench, and would ideally display real-time information about next bus arrival for
passengers waiting to transfer. Potential locations for transfer facilities between city and campus
routes include:
• Along Archer Road at the approach to Center Drive.
• At the existing Beaty Towers bus stop, within 200 feet of a new bus stop at the intersection
of SW 13th Street and Museum Road.
• At the intersection of Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand Drive for residential circulators
south of campus.
• Along Bledsoe Drive between Hull Road and Radio Road.
These recommendations will lessen the number of city bus routes traveling through the campus. In
the short-term, these changes may also decrease the convenience of transit access to off-campus
destinations. In the event that BRT is implemented along the Archer Road corridor, providing
premium transit service from the Butler Plaza and Oak Mall areas to UF, the effects of these
changes would be minimized. UF and RTS should carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks as
well as the timing of implementing these changes to minimize disruption to current quality of
service.
45
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
PARK AND RIDE ANALYSIS
OBJECTIVE
Park-and-ride facilities can provide key options for commuters wishing to carpool and/or use
transit to reach their destinations, in addition to addressing traffic congestion and parking issues.
The Florida Department of Transportation provides a basic level of assistance to communities
wishing to locate park-and-ride facilities on public property and will design, sign, mark, and
construct new lots in areas where park-and-ride facilities are needed to support carpooling and
transit operations. Generally, park-and-ride facilities can serve a number of purposes. First, they
provide a location for commuters to park and join others in a carpool or vanpool and travel to their
workplace or other desired destination. Second, a park-and-ride lot may serve as a transfer point
for commuters to switch to transit (fixed route, express bus, Bus Rapid Transit, rail, etc.). Third,
a park-and-ride lot may provide a central location where travelers can ride or walk the remaining
distance to their destination due to parking limitations and/or costs. The first two types of parkand-ride facilities are generally located closer to the traveler’s residence, while the third is usually
closer to the final destination, such as a major workplace or activity center.
The purpose of this analysis was to make recommendations for on-campus and regional transit
park-and-ride facilities that serve UF trips based on data collected for this master plan update, the
validated transportation model for the Gainesville Urbanized Area MTPO’s Year 2035 Long Range
Transportation Plan (LRTP), and relevant criteria from previous research on park-and-ride lot
facilities. Specifically, this analysis sought to identify park-and-ride lot locations with the greatest
potential for success for both the general commuting public and UF employees and students. The
methodology and results of the analysis are described below.
METHODOLOGY
Relevant criteria for determining success of park and ride lots were identified from Transit
Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) Report 95, Traveler Response to Transportation System
Changes, Chapter 3, Park-and-Ride/Pool. A review of the relevant documents identified a range
of criteria that could be used to evaluate potential success of park-and-ride facilities. For
consistency with the Year 2035 LRTP for the Gainesville Urbanized Area, the park-and-ride lots
included in the Year 2035 Needs Plan were assessed. While a number of criteria were considered
for this analysis, the following criteria were determined to be most relevant for purposes of
evaluating park and ride facilities/locations in the Gainesville area:
1. Driving distance from home to park and ride facility
2. Distance of park and ride facility from destination
46
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
3. Development density in area around park and ride lot
4. Hours during which transit service is provided at park and ride lot
5. Frequency of transit service at park and ride lot
6. Park and ride lot location along congested corridors
7. Relative trip duration by automobile (total trip from home to destination)
Each criterion used for this analysis is discussed in detail below in the results section. The
discussion provides information on assumptions made as well as data sources and analysis
conducted.
The following additional criteria for park and ride lot success were identified but were not used for
this analysis:
• Distance from destination, where the park and ride lot is greater than five miles –
preferably greater than 10 miles – from the activity center/destination. Most of the lots are
within 5 miles of the destination.
• Quick and easy highway access, preferably within 1/2 mile or so of the direct auto
travel route and with good visibility. All proposed lot locations in this analysis are within ½
mile of the auto travel route,
• Visibility from major corridor. This item has more to do with signage and design of the
park and ride lot and should be considered when siting and designing lots.
• Existence of significant parking costs and/or scarcity of parking in the Central Business
District (CBD) or other major attraction served. We assumed this criterion applied for all
park and ride lots in this analysis because of the current parking policies and capacity at UF.
• Parking in the (park and ride) facility that is free or substantially discounted
relative to prevailing CBD or destination (UF) parking rates. We assumed this criterion for
all park and ride lots in this analysis.
47
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
RESULTS
DRIVING DISTANCE FROM HOME TO PARK AND RIDE FACILITY
Research indicates that park and ride lots will generally be more successful if the lot is located less
than 50 percent of the total journey time from the patron’s home to the final destination. For
example, if it takes 20 minutes to travel from the park and ride lot to the destination, commuters
who live less than 20 minutes from the park and ride lot (further away from the destination) are
most likely to use the park and ride lot. In addition, commuters who live within a few minutes of
the park and ride lot in the inbound direction from the park and ride lot to the destination may also
be likely to use the facility, due to a number of factors.
To evaluate the potential park and ride locations, the number of likely patrons meeting this
criterion was calculated using residence data provided by the University of Florida as well as
information on projected population and travel times from the transportation model developed for
the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) for the Gainesville Urbanized Area. A “capture
area” was identified for each park and ride lot based on the peak hour auto travel time to UF from
the 2035 model. For the purposes of this analysis, the intersection of Gale Lemerand Drive and
Museum Road on the University of Florida main campus was used as the “destination” (per the
direction of UF staff).
Auto travel times were calculated using the 2035 Needs Plan (as coded into the LRTP model) for
purposes of this analysis. This analysis was conducted to assist with development of the 2035 Cost
Feasible Plan and to provide an indication of the park and ride lots with the greatest potential for
success. For that reason, it was determined that the Needs Plan network would be most helpful for
several reasons. First, while it is unlikely that all transportation modifications identified in the
Needs Plan would be implemented, various factors related to transit service affect the success of
park and ride lots. Second, most of the park and ride lots would not have any transit service
without future transit enhancements that were included in the Needs Plan.
The map series below shows the process of identifying capture areas for each park and ride lot.
Map 9 shows the travel demand model nodes within 50 percent of travel time from the park and
ride lot to the UF destination. Map 11 shows the generalized capture area based on the travel times
and nodes. The same steps were completed to identify the capture area for each park and ride lot.
It should be noted that most of the capture areas overlap due to the relatively short travel times and
locations of some potential park and ride lots close to each other. In addition, some number of
patrons that live with ½ mile or so of the park and ride lot (in the inbound direction) may also use
the lot, depending on a number of other conditions, such as ease of access, difficulty of parking at
destination, etc.
48
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Map 9: Identifying Park and Ride Lot Capture Area using Model Nodes for Travel Time
High
Springs
Alachua
Waldo
Newberry
Archer
49
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Map 10: Generalized Capture Area for Park and Ride Lot
(Newberry Road and Ft. Clarke Blvd.)
Newberry
Archer
Map 11: Generalized Capture Areas for All Potential Park and Ride Lots
Alachua
Waldo
Newberry
Archer
50
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Once the capture area was identified for each park and ride lot, the number of residents (both UF
employees/students and general population) within that lot’s capture area was calculated. Data
and analysis from the Year 2035 LRTP were used for these calculations. An accessibility analysis
conducted for the LRTP provided estimated employment and residential data based on 10-acre grid
cells and allowed for more specific estimates within the capture area (for more information on the
accessibility analysis, see the Year 2035 LRTP documentation). The Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZs)
used for the Year 2035 LRTP model also provided another set of estimated employment and
residential data as well as UF student and employee residence locations (per TAZ). In general, this
set of figures is higher due to the generalized nature and size of the TAZs. Table 8 below provides
a summary of this analysis for each potential park and ride lot.
51
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Table 9: Population and Employment in Park and Ride Lot Capture Areas
Location
Newberry Roa d a nd CR 241
(Jones vi l l e)
NW 39th Avenue a nd I-75
(Spri nghi l l s Area )
Newberry Roa d a nd Ft. Cl a rke Bl vd.
Archer Roa d a nd Tower Roa d (SW
75th Street)
I-75 a nd Newberry Roa d (Oa ks Ma l l )
Butl er Pl a za Area
NW 34th Street a nd US 441
(Northwood Vi l l a ge)
US 441 a nd Wi l l i s ton Roa d
NE 39th Avenue a nd Wa l do Roa d
(Ai rport Area )
Ea s ts i de Acti vi ty Center (SE 43rd
Street a nd SE Ha wthorne Roa d)
Facility Type
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Accessibility Analysis Polygrid Summary
EMPLOYEES
2035
2035
To DU
Employees
DUs
Ratio
TAZ Summary
Node
Travel
Time to UF
(Needs Plan)
1365
18.38
9,679
12,250
0.79
46,437
15,836
3,849
19,685
15,281
324
1,104
1511
1523
16.39
12.78
22,462
23,989
14,972
23,731
1.50
1.01
57,071
76,299
12,670
19,916
13,146
13,712
25,816
33,628
28,816
30,348
1,897
2,208
2,002
3,091
1574
11.62
5,890
10,517
0.56
35,918
12,882
3,473
16,355
8,683
1,018
2,108
1619
10.86
22,601
17,819
1.27
56,705
14,648
10,613
25,261
27,539
2,369
2,675
1801
6.07
16,103
12,702
1.27
41,909
3,633
18,953
22,586
25,907
6,568
1,463
1992
2185
12.02
6.57
13,467
5,782
11,385
7,288
1.18
0.79
41,825
15,212
15,252
2,030
3,391
5,361
18,643
7,391
23,265
7,080
1,054
4,511
2,257
1,227
2905
11.36
6,411
4,533
1.41
16,927
4,519
2,861
7,380
11,975
133
267
2951
9.92
2,868
3,448
0.83
12,501
4,009
947
4,956
4,311
99
242
2035
Population
2035
SF
DUs
2035
MF
DUs
2035
2035
DUs Employees
UF Off
UF Off
Campus
Campus
Students Employees
52
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Using dwelling units as a proxy for future population, the three park and ride locations with the
highest number of dwelling units in the capture area are Newberry Road/Ft. Clarke Blvd., I75/Newberry Road (Oaks Mall), and NW 39th Avenue/I-75 (Santa Fe College/Springhills area).
The UF employment residence data indicate that the lot location with the third highest
concentration becomes the lot at NW 34th Street and US 441 (Northwood Village) rather than the
Springhills location. The UF student residence data demonstrate the difference in distribution of
student residence locations. The three lot locations with the highest number of UF student
residences in the capture areas are the Butler Plaza area, US 441/Williston Road, and I75/Newberry Road (Oaks Mall). Because these areas are already well-served by transit service
directly into the UF area, and students represent a large percentage of the ridership on these
routes, it is unlikely that these figures indicate a high potential for use of a park and ride lot.
Finally, the ratio of the employees to dwelling units for each capture area was calculated to provide
an indication of the density and diversity of the land uses in the capture area.
DEVELOPMENT DENSITY IN THE AREA AROUND PARK AND RIDE LOT
A 2001 study of Florida’s remote lot users found that about 50 percent of users live within three
miles of the lot and 90 percent come from within 19 miles (Center for Urban Transportation
Research, 2001). The primary focus is on the area around the park and ride lot as a catchment
area, similar to the driving distance measure discussed above. Evaluation of this item focused on
UF employee and student residences within three miles of the potential park and ride lots. This
analysis involved calculating the distance from UF to the park and ride lot and selecting the TAZs
within three miles of the lot (excluding TAZs on the inbound side of the lot, except those within a
short distance). Table 10 below summarizes the number of UF students and employees living
within the three-mile catchment area of each potential park and ride lot. In this analysis, the three
lots with the highest potential for use by UF employees are Archer Road and Tower Road (SW
75th Street), Butler Plaza area, and Newberry Road/Ft. Clarke Blvd. For UF students, the three
highest potential locations are the same as in the previous analysis: Butler Plaza area, US
441/Williston Road, and I-75/Newberry Road (Oaks Mall). Map 12 provides a visual
representation of the results of the accessibility analysis in the area of each park and ride lot. The
highly accessible areas are those where a wide range of transportation options would be available in
conjunction with a mix of land uses, jobs and housing. Each potential park and ride lot location is
shown in a different color, corresponding with the colors in the associated tables.
53
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Table 10: UF Employee and Student Residences (in TAZs) within Three Miles of
Potential Park and Ride Lots
Location
Newberry Roa d a nd CR 241
(Jones vi l l e)
NW 39th Avenue a nd I-75
(Spri nghi l l s Area )
Newberry Roa d a nd Ft. Cl a rke Bl vd.
Archer Roa d a nd Tower Roa d (SW
75th Street)
I-75 a nd Newberry Roa d (Oa ks Ma l l )
Butl er Pl a za Area
NW 34th Street a nd US 441
(Northwood Vi l l a ge)
US 441 a nd Wi l l i s ton Roa d
NE 39th Avenue a nd Wa l do Roa d
(Ai rport Area )
Ea s ts i de Acti vi ty Center (SE 43rd
Street a nd SE Ha wthorne Roa d)
Facility Type
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Node
UF Off
UF Off
Campus
Campus
Students Employees
1365
70
235
1511
1523
278
477
634
1201
1574
460
1432
1619
1698
1135
1801
6602
1491
1992
2185
162
3263
440
668
2905
24
55
2951
66
115
54
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Map 12: Potential Park and Ride Lot Locations and Accessibility Analysis
High
Springs
Alachua
Waldo
Newberry
Archer
55
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
TRANSIT SERVICE CRITERIA
There are two criteria related to transit service that are considered to impact the attractiveness or
potential for success of park and ride lots. These criteria, hours during which transit service is
provided and frequency of service, are discussed below. The 2035 Needs Plan for the LRTP serves
as the base for the transit service analysis. Map 13 shows the Year 2035 Transit Needs Plan as it was
adopted by the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization. The potential park and ride
lots vary in the availability and frequency of various types of transit service. Table 11 below
provides an overview of the transit service characteristics which would exist for each park and ride
lot location under the 2035 Needs Plan. Table 12 provides details on future RTS transit service
span and frequencies. All potential park and ride lots except one (US 441/Williston Road) would
have multiple transit options available for traveling to UF/downtown area, including Bus Rapid
Transit (BRT), streetcar, and fixed route bus service. Several of the potential lots would service as
transfer points for express bus service from surrounding communities. Hours of service and
frequency of service are expected to provide high levels of transit service across the entire system,
especially at those locations served by BRT and/or streetcar.
The Butler Plaza lot location appears to provide the most future transit options and best frequency
of service, especially related to BRT and streetcar service. The flexibility of fixed route and
express bus services do, however, provide opportunities for modifications to service to better serve
one of more other park and ride lots, depending on final routing of BRT (both trunk and feeder
lines) and streetcar lines as well as ridership.
56
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Map 13: Year 2035 LTRP Transit Needs Plan
57
UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Table 11: Transit Service Characteristics at Potential Park and Ride Lots
Location
Newberry Roa d a nd CR 241
(Jones vi l l e)
NW 39th Avenue a nd I-75
(Spri nghi l l s Area )
Newberry Roa d a nd Ft. Cl a rke Bl vd.
Archer Roa d a nd Tower Roa d (SW
75th Street)
I-75 a nd Newberry Roa d (Oa ks Ma l l )
Butl er Pl a za Area
NW 34th Street a nd US 441
(Northwood Vi l l a ge)
US 441 a nd Wi l l i s ton Roa d
NE 39th Avenue a nd Wa l do Roa d
(Ai rport Area )
Ea s ts i de Acti vi ty Center (SE 43rd
Street a nd SE Ha wthorne Roa d)
Facility Type
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Intermoda l
Center/Pa rk & Ri de
Lot
Express
Bus*
Node
Fixed
Route***
BRT**
Yes ,
wes tbound
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes ,
wes tbound
Yes
Yes
No
Yes (2 routes ) Yes
No
Yes (2 routes ) Yes
Yes ,
northbound/
wes tbound
No
Yes ,
northbound/
ea s tbound
Yes ,
s outhbound/
ea s tbound
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Notes :
*Expres s Bus woul d opera te weekda ys onl y, every 30 mi nutes for a s pa n of 3 hours i n the morni ng a nd 3 hours
i n the eveni ng.
**BRT woul d opera te every 10-15 mi nutes for a s pa n of 17-20 hours on weekda ys a nd 10-14
hours on weekends .
***Fi xed route s ervi ce woul d opera te every 15-30 mi nutes for a s pa n of 8-20 hours on weekda ys
a nd 7-8 hours on weekends .
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Table 12: Planned Regional Transit System Service Span and Frequencies by Service
Type
SERVICE
FREQUENCY
(MIN.)
SERVICE SPAN
(MIN. HOURS)
PEAK
OFF-PEAK
WEEKDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Streetcar
10
15
17-20
14
10
Bus Rapid Transit
10
15
17-20
14
10
Intercity Express Bus
30
-
3/3
-
-
Local Express Bus
20
-
3/3
-
-
Local Bus
15
30
8-20
8
7
Local Bus Feeder*
20
40
Campus Circulators
15
30
-
-
Complimentary Paratransit**
17-20
Demand Response
Note: *feeders to connect to BRT or other premium services at stations
**3/4 mile service area beyond fixed route system
LOT LOCATED ALONG CONGESTED CORRIDORS
TCRP Report 95 indicates that roadways that operate at LOS E or worse (for automobiles) would
meet this criterion. For purposes of this analysis, more detailed information was available in the
form of Volume to Capacity (V/C) ratios from the 2035 LRTP model. V/C ratios are available for
both the Existing plus Committed and Needs Plan networks, and are provided in Table 13 below.
All but two potential park and ride lots would be located along congested roadways, and two lot
locations would only be along congested corridors if no future roadway or transit modifications
were implemented. This information suggests that a method for prioritizing implementation of
park and ride lots to those areas where there is more congestion and therefore, more demand for
park and ride lots for commuters that would switch to transit at those locations to complete their
trips into UF/downtown.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
Table 13: Congestion Levels on Potential Park and Ride Lot Corridors
Location
Facility Type
Newberry Roa d a nd CR 241
(Jones vi l l e)
NW 39th Avenue a nd I-75
(Spri nghi l l s Area )
Newberry Roa d a nd Ft. Cl a rke Bl vd.
Archer Roa d a nd Tower Roa d (SW
75th Street)
Intermoda l Center/Pa rk
& Ri de Lot
Intermoda l Center/Pa rk
& Ri de Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l Center/Pa rk
& Ri de Lot
I-75 a nd Newberry Roa d (Oa ks Ma l l )
Butl er Pl a za Area
NW 34th Street a nd US 441
(Northwood Vi l l a ge)
US 441 a nd Wi l l i s ton Roa d
NE 39th Avenue a nd Wa l do Roa d
(Ai rport Area )
Ea s ts i de Acti vi ty Center (SE 43rd
Street a nd SE Ha wthorne Roa d)
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l Center/Pa rk
& Ri de Lot
Intermoda l Center/Pa rk
& Ri de Lot
Pa rk & Ri de Lot
Intermoda l Center/Pa rk
& Ri de Lot
Intermoda l Center/Pa rk
& Ri de Lot
Node
Congestion Level on
Corridor
Conges ted (E+C a nd Needs )
Conges ted (E+C a nd Needs )
Conges ted (E+C a nd Needs )
Conges ted (E+C a nd Needs )
Conges ted (E+C a nd Needs )
Conges ted (E+C a nd Needs )
Conges ted (E+C)
Conges ted (E+C)
Not conges ted
Not conges ted
RELATIVE TRIP DURATION BY AUTOMOBILE
This criterion addresses time savings achieved (over travel by automobile) by using the park and
ride lot and transferring to transit to arrive at one’s destination. According to TCRP Report 95, a
time savings of over five minutes during peak-travel periods (saved by using park and ride lots plus
transit instead of driving and parking plus walking) indicates greater likelihood of park and ride use.
This analysis should incorporate all time components of both auto and park and ride/transit trips to
final destination. For auto travel, the time needed to search for parking and then walk from the
parking facility to one’s final destination on the UF campus (for auto travel) need to be
incorporated. For park and ride lot patrons, both the wait time (at park and ride lot) and walk time
from transit stop to the final destination should be included.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
For this analysis, two examples comparing auto and transit travel times were used to get a sense of
the magnitude of the difference between modes. The evaluation of alternative networks conducted
for the LRTP included a comparison of auto and transit travel times from two locations into
downtown Gainesville/UF. As shown in Table 13, the congested travel times for auto travel (as
calculated by the LRTP model) are projected to be higher than park and ride/transit travel time in
these examples. Assuming the wait and walk times for park and ride/transit trips would be shorter
than the walk time required from parking lots on campus to the final UF destination, this criterion
would apply consistently to all potential park and ride lots in this analysis.
Table 14: Travel Time Comparison for Auto vs. Transit Trips
JONESVILLE TO DOWNTOWN
(NEWBERRY ROAD CORRIDOR)
HAILE PLANTATION TO SHANDS/UF
(ARCHER ROAD CORRIDOR)
Congested Time Auto
32.28
28.15
Congested Time
Premium Bus (BRT)
22.49
20.32
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the analysis of the identified criteria, most of the potential park and ride lot locations
show promise as future transfer points for both UF employees and the general population. UF
students are generally served well by current fixed route transit service and are less likely to use
park and ride lots. The results of the travel time capture area and three-mile catchment area
analyses indicate that the Newberry Road/Ft. Clarke Blvd. park and ride lot location shows the
greatest potential for usage. This location would have a high level of transit service, and the travel
time comparison along the Newberry Road Corridor does show a significant difference in travel
times for auto vs. transit. While the specific location in that area should be identified through
detailed site analysis and coordinated with future transit service, this location should be considered
the highest priority for implementation. The site also provides an opportunity for developer
mitigation to contribute toward development of the lot and supporting facilities, given the number
of nearby active development proposals under review and pending final approval. The second
priority recommended for implementation would be a park and ride lot along the Archer Road
Corridor in the area of Archer Road and Tower Road (SW 75th Street). This lot location showed
the most promise for use by UF employees based on their residence locations. A third priority
recommendation would be a park and ride lot at NW 34th Street and US 441 (Northwood Village).
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
A park and ride lot in this location would provide opportunities for residents in the northern
portion of the community to transfer to transit. There are a number of neighborhoods just outside
the capture areas identified in this analysis that might find park and ride opportunities attractive due
to traffic congestion travelling to downtown and UF from that area.
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
This Transit System Analysis is one component of the overall Transportation Element Needs Plan
update. The recommendations identified in this report will provide a basis for development of the
final Needs Plan document and costs and will serve as the basis for conducting the Traffic Impact
Analysis. The recommendations for each area of the analysis are summarized below.
BUS ROUTE CLARITY AND BRANDING
Regional Transit System routes and facilities serving the UF campus are well-marked and relatively
easy to use. Several recommendations were identified for the campus route system that might
enhance the route clarity and branding of the system:
• Provide a comprehensive campus map that includes both campus routes and city routes;
• Continue to develop GPS technology applications for rider information to display real-time
information at transit stop;
• Revise the route signs to show the RTS logo at the top with blades below showing route
information; and
• Continue to implement its new color scheme and look for ways to better differentiate
between the campus and city buses.
FACULTY CAB SERVICE
The existing campus cab service was found to fill a void in connectivity and convenience as
demonstrated by its usage. The service should be continued until a more streamlined and
connected campus service can be provided. The following recommendations were identified
related to the faculty cab service:
• Monitor the service periodically to determine adjustments that should be made.
• Increase awareness of the service among faculty and staff.
• Establish performance measures and collect more detailed usage to help to identify ways to
improve the effectiveness of the cab service
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
DIRECTNESS TO DESTINATIONS
The analysis found that the campus bus routes provide a good balance between serving multiple
destinations and providing direct service with reasonable travel times. No route adjustments are
recommended at this time for the campus bus routes.
INTERFACE OF CAMPUS ROUTES AND CITY ROUTES
A number of recommendations have been identified to reduce the number of city routes traveling
through the UF campus and to provide better transfer opportunities. These recommendations are
summarized below:
•
Provide adequate transfer facilities with benches and bus shelters at strategic locations,.
These transfer locations should also have real-time rider information.
• Changes to city bus routes are recommended as follows (detailed information is presented
earlier in this document):
o Route 1: Deviate along Archer Road to SW 13th Street and connect to SW 8th
Avenue heading east to avoid traveling along Center Drive and Museum Road.
o Route 8: Replace Route 29 and increase frequency to 15-minute headways.
o Routes 9, 35, 36, 38: Terminate routes at Mowry Road/Gale Lemerand Drive to
serve primarily as residential circulators with access to Hull Road/Mowry Road.
o Route 12: Combine with Route 1, or adjust to terminate near campus edge.
o Routes 20, 21: Combine and eliminate portions that travel through campus, and
provide connection to campus routes along Bledsoe Drive between Hull Road and
Radio Road.
o Route 22: Adjust to end service at Mowry Road or combine with Route 20/21.
o Route 29: Combine with Route 8.
o Route 34: Realign route to avoid campus core and University Avenue.
o Route 43: Adjust route to avoid traveling on Museum Road and Newell Drive.
• Combine the route changes with several new bus stops to facilitate transfers between city
and campus routes. Potential locations for transfer facilities between city and campus
routes include:
o Along Archer Road at the approach to Center Drive.
o At the existing Beaty Towers bus stop, within 200 feet of a new bus stop at the
intersection of SW 13th Street and Museum Road.
o At the intersection of Mowry Road and Gale Lemerand Drive for residential
circulators south of campus.
o Along Bledsoe Drive between Hull Road and Radio Road.
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UF Campus Master Plan, 2010-2020,
Year 2020 UF Transit System Analysis
PARK AND RIDE LOTS
Most of the potential park and ride lot locations show promise as future transfer points for both UF
employees and the general population based on a number of criteria used in the analysis. The top
three priorities for location of park and ride lots are listed below:
• Newberry Road/Ft. Clarke Blvd.
• Along the Archer Road Corridor in the area of Archer Road and Tower Road (SW 75th
Street).
• NW 34th Street and US 441 (Northwood Village).
64