GSC teaming up with Red Rabbit

OAKWOOD - A plan is in the works that would allow Gainesville State College students to ride the Red Rabbit on campus free of charge and on the bus system's regular routes at a reduced rate.

It calls for Red Rabbit and GSC is to use Park 'n' Ride near the college on Mundy Mill Road at Exit 16 as the access point. Students will be able to park their car and hop on the shuttle for transportation to the school at no cost to them.

Gainesville State President Martha Nesbitt said students at both GSC and Lanier Technical College, which share the same campus, are almost out of parking space on campus "and by next fall we are going to need some other place for our students to park.”

With the new transit plan, students will be able to ride for free on campus and for fifty cents on the regular routes.

Dr. Nesbitt said she is particularly pleased with this route because she thinks it will allow students who otherwise would have a very difficult time getting to campus to get to their classes.

Janice Crow, General Manager for Hall Area Transit, said adding Gainesville State College to the routes provides greater access, freedom and choices.

The Red Rabbit was on the campus in 2004, but Crow said "not a lot of people were riding Red Rabbit at that time, but every year since then the transit has grown 20 percent so now the transit can expand and come back to the campus.”

She added the route not only will get students to and from campus, but it will also connect them to the rest of the bus system's regular routes.

The plan is to have about four stops on campus with the shuttle circulating clockwise around the campus.

The plans were discussed at public hearings at GSC Wednesday. The final in a series of hearings on expanding the bus system will be held at 5:00 Thursday at the Coummunity Service Center in Gainesville.