RTS buys new van for workers

RTS buys new van for workers
November/December 1999

A new van was delivered in Gainesville this week. But this isn't just any custom van like you might see on a dealer's lot. This van can hold up to 11 people and is wheelchair-accessible and is going to be used to get people to work. Regional Transit System (RTS) purchased the van and will lease it to the City of Archer. The City of Archer will provide transportation from Archer to Gainesville on a regular basis, including connections to RTS routes.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to this program is that people needing jobs will be able to ride the van to Gainesville and go to driver training at RTS. After a paid training period, trainees will obtain their CDL and be eligible for employment with RTS or with the School Board of Alachua County. Currently, both RTS and the School Board are experiencing driver shortages, and RTS plans further service enhancements which will require more drivers. This program sounds like an all-around winner, in that people needing jobs will be able to have transportation to paid training, and employers will have a supply of applicants for their available positions.

This program is fully funded by a Law Enforcement Crime Prevention Block Grant established on the premise that putting people to work will keep them out of trouble. The program could be expanded to other satellite communities if successful. Congratulations to RTS and the City of Archer for taking a huge step toward solving mobility problems in Alachua County.