RTS provides advantages over subsidized ride-share service
A recently published letter to the editor suggested that the city subsidize Uber for public transportation instead of the current service provided by the Regional Transit System. The letter writer also made suggestions for updating RTS, apparently not realizing that some of those suggestions have already been implemented.
As a long-time member of the RTS Citizens’ Advisory Board and relative of a daily RTS rider, I would like the public to know the facts.
The letter starts by saying buses are empty most of the time. One only needs to look at RTS data to see that buses are not empty most of the time. The bus system is being utilized in great numbers. There were 482,933 passenger trips in October and 397,344 in November of 2021.
Logically, buses are less crowded at certain times of the day and year (non-rush hour and summer), which may account for what looks like low ridership at those times (the letter to the editor was originally published June 1 before being republished on Dec. 26). But routes are planned based on known usage. When most University of Florida and Santa Fe College students are out of town in the summer, some buses naturally have fewer riders, but bus routes are always adjusted to reflect that known annual decrease in ridership.
Using subsidized Uber rides to take the place of public transportation has been tried in Inisfil, Ontario, Canada. Riders there paid $3 to $5 per ride to specified locations and other trips were subsidized by $5.
If we did that here, my relative would be paying $30 to $50 per week just to go to work. She currently pays $35 for a monthly pass that allows her unlimited rides all month long. The Uber amount would be totally unaffordable on her salary of approximately $150 per week.
Additionally, Americans with Disabilities Act-certified people with disabilities, seniors and children under 18 ride RTS free. Active military, veterans, and Medicare/Medicaid recipients ride for half price.
In Inisfil, a city-subsidized Uber ride limit had to be set, driving up the price to riders even more. Using Uber instead of RTS would be a tremendous financial burden on people with lower incomes.
The cost of Uber in Inisfil came at a much higher cost to the city than planned. The city ended up spending considerably more than budgeted when they instituted subsidized Uber rides. Innisfil had difficulty in planning because Uber rates aren’t constant. RTS has years of data from which they can plan.
RTS buses pick up riders with bicycles and people in wheelchairs both on regular routes, and through MV Paratransit Service. Uber is not set up to handle this type of transportation.
Furthermore, the number of cars on the road would increase and environmental pollution would likely rise as well if current bus riders used Uber instead of RTS. More cars would likely make rush hour and the condition of our roads worse than they currently are. RTS buses are gradually being converted to more environmentally friendly vehicles, and there are smaller RTS vehicles in use for routes that do not require a larger bus.
The bus schedule is consistent in that the buses arrive at stops at the same time every weekday. Admittedly, Uber is known for quick response times, but it has been having issues, not only with arrival times, but also with locking in a rider’s price for trips planned ahead of time, while RTS prices haven’t risen in years.
RTS is a valuable resource to those who depend on it every day. Without it, the transportation needs of many in our community would not be met.
Barbara Scott lives in Alachua.
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This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Barbara Scott: Regional Transit System has advantages over Uber
