City of Gainesville observes Thanksgiving Holiday Nov. 23-24
November 20, 2023
Press release from City of Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, City offices will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 23, and Friday, Nov. 24.
The Regional Transit System (RTS) will provide reduced service Wednesday, Nov. 22 (reduced service is indicated on schedules with an “R” in the far right column under each route direction column section), no service on Thursday, and holiday service, which runs between 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., to routes 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 13, 15, 16, 20, 26, 35, 43, 75 and 711, on Friday. Please visit the RTS website and schedule pages for more information.
Residential curbside collection for garbage, recycling, and yard trash will not be picked up on Thursday but will be picked up on Friday.
The RTS schedule is based on the student schedule and the holiday work schedule of City employees. This impacts the actual residents of the City that need transportation all day/night and every day. Their work schedule may not be based on federal holidays or college classes. The hospitality industry, such as restaurants and hotels, or the retail industry stay open on most holidays.
RTS is not a profitable entity of the City. RTS should be shut down and the City should use that savings to subsidize ride-share for low-income residents. It offers door-to-door service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Single Mothers and senor citizens would not be forced to walk some distance to a bus stop that is unsheltered and without a seat. Then wait in Florida’s varied weather for a bus that is running late, or not all.