This summer, students will be able to know where their buses are without even venturing outside.
UF's Student Body President Ryan Moseley said Global Positioning Systems would be installed on all Regional Transit System buses with off-campus routes - about 50 buses - by early May.
The Web site for the new bus system will show a map of the Gainesville area and allow students to track one or more buses en route instantly, Moseley said.
He said about 30 buses are already hooked up with the equipment and undergoing test runs before running the system live. When the system is ready, students will be able to check exactly where buses are along their routes by text messaging a preset number or checking online.
UF Parking and Transportation reserves from traffic court fees will fund the $204,000 start-up cost for the GPS system. The UF Transportation Access Fee Committee will pay the $110,000 recurring yearly cost, which includes system maintenance.
Adding GPS systems to buses on campus routes is a possibility that would depend on student feedback, he said.
He added that he hopes Student Government will eventually install a few LCD screens - flat, high-definition screens- on campus to display bus locations, he said. Each board would cost "a couple thousand dollars" and could end up in spots like the Hub, where a lot of buses stop.
"It's nothing our budget can't take, and it will be a great asset," he said.
Moseley said one of the best features of this program is that buses on the Later Gator routes would also be tracked, which could encourage students to use the buses as a late-night ride instead of driving drunk.
