Empty stomachs, elbow-to-elbow run-ins and bumper-to-bumper traffic at the Rawlings Hall bus stop could disappear come fall.
UF's Transportation and Parking Services department has decided to increase the size of the Rawlings bus stop located on Newell Drive by 50 percent, said Scott Fox, director of the transportation and parking services at UF.
The Student Traffic Court will be paying $250,000 for the expansion with the funds gained through parking tickets.
"It identified itself as a need for expansion," Fox said.
The bus stop now has two bus ports, and the expansion will add another covered bus port to increase the flow of both road and foot traffic.
Fox said during construction, all buses will use the unaffected part of the port so as to not shut down the bus stop totally.
If for some reason the bus system is being impeded by the construction, the contingency plan is to have buses turn left onto McCarty Drive and immediately stop at McCarty Hall D.
The plan was used 10 years ago when construction was last done on the bus stop at Rawlings Hall.
"We already have a natural reduction in riders," Fox said. "That makes us think that we won't need that contingency plan."
The construction is scheduled to be done by Aug. 1.
In addition to a new-and-improved spot to wait for the bus, Rawlings bus stop patrons can now grab a bite to eat during their wait.
"This is a very high-traffic area that we would like to offer dining services to UF students, faculty and staff," said Jill Rodriguez, marketing manager at Gator Dining Services, in an email. The unnamed food site will offer grab-and-go breakfast, lunch, dinner, beverage, snack and sandwich options, and its prices will be competitive with off-campus locations, she said.
