You’re stuck on campus late at night. You’ve got no car and no ride home. You’re armed with only your Gator 1 Card and your cell phone.
Fortunately, you’ve got some options.
For UF students who lack transportation, or are too inebriated to use their own, Gainesville offers several ways to get around.
RTS, Gainesville’s bus system, has three special routes, called Later Gator routes, that run from 8:30 p.m. until about 3 a.m.
Later Gator began as a partnership between UF and RTS to help reduce the number of students drinking and driving, according to Chip Skinner, marketing supervisor for RTS.
“Instead of driving, they can get on the bus and they don’t have to worry,” he said. “They can get home safely. It is by far the safest mode of transportation if they are going to be going downtown.”
The rates are the same as they are during normal hours, meaning that rides are free for those who flash their Gator 1 cards.
The three routes, A, B and C, run from the Rosa Parks Downtown Station to UF campus, southwest Gainesville and the Oaks Mall, respectively.
The routes are designed to hit most major student apartment complexes in Gainesville.
Route A will not run Monday or Tuesday nights, however. Skinner said that the number of people who used the route was too low to justify keeping it open on those two nights.
If the thought of riding a public bus isn’t your cup of tea, there is another free service that is coming to Gainesville around Aug. 15.
GOTCHA, which stands for “Green Operated Transit Carrying Humanity Around,” is the newest player in the public transportation arena.
The GOTCHA cars, which are custom-built electric vehicles, will essentially serve as free taxis for people in Gainesville from 7:30 a.m. to noon., and then pick back up in the evening until 3 a.m., though GOTCHA president, Sean Flood, says the hours are subject to change depending on demand.
In order to get a GOTCHA car, you can either call its dispatch center or hail one down like a taxi.
The cars are paid for by advertisements, and the drivers work on tips.
The six-seat cars are also outfitted with iPod docks and flat-screen TVs to keep its passengers entertained along the ride.
“I hope they’ll wonder how they got around before we were there,” Flood said.
Another option for students on campus is SNAP, the UF Police Department’s escort service.
SNAP stands for Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol.
If a student calls 352-392-SNAP between the hours of 6:30 p.m. and 3 a.m., he or she can be picked up and dropped off just about anywhere they need to go on campus.
“It’s a great alternative to walking alone at night,” said Officer Pablo DeJesus, the SNAP coordinator.
SNAP escorts cannot take anyone to non-university-owned property, he said. The reason for this is so UPD can better respond to any situations that may arise.
Though it is a UPD service, it is almost entirely student-run.
DeJesus is the only non-student employee of SNAP, and the project is funded in-part by Student Government.
DeJesus advised those who are too drunk to drive and find themselves in search of transportation to ride the bus, call a taxi or a designated driver instead of calling SNAP.
He said the service’s primary objective is not to provide transport for intoxicated students because they may disturb others in the van.
The driver of the van has the choice to either take or leave drunk passengers and could possibly call the police if they feel it would be necessary.
“SNAP’s primary goal is safety first and foremost,” he said.
For those who don’t have cars but may need one in certain circumstances, the Zipcar program may be helpful.
Zipcar is a third-party company that rents cars to students either by the hour or by the day.
These rental cars also have their own reserved parking spaces in campus parking lots.
Before you can rent from Zipcar, you must apply for membership.
Zipcar membership applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a good driving record to be approved.
Ron Fuller, assistant director of UF’s Transportation and Parking Services, said that they can be very strict about “moving violations,” or speeding and red-light running.
“Not just anyone can rent,” he said. “You have to have a really good driving history.”
Zipcar’s rates are $8 an hour and $66 per day on weekdays, and $9 an hour and $72 per day on weekends.
