Correction appended: A previous version of the story stated an inaccurate time period for active grants and the estimated breakdown of mobility projects for seniors and individuals with disabilities as well as pedestrian amenities. It has been updated to correct that information.
Gainesville’s Department of Financial Services provided a detailed update on the city’s recent grant awards during a meeting at City Hall on Thursday.
Dennis Nguyen, the director of the Department of Financial Services, said the Regional Transit System has secured over $66 million in grant awards as of Dec. 31, 2024 — accounting for nearly 45.5% of the total $146.4 million awarded citywide during that period.
About $40 million of the active RTS grants has been spent as of Dec. 31, 2024, leaving a balance of more than $26 million yet to be expended.
“I thought that we should take a look and bring the community up to speed on where we are with our grants,” City Manager Cynthia W. Curry said.
The presentation was led by Nguyen, who broke down the awards and their importance to the Gainesville community.
“Grants play an important role in supporting essential functions in our city providing enhancements to public services, infrastructure and community programs,” Nguyen said. "Federal and state grants enable our city to undertake projects that otherwise would not be financially feasible.”
The active RTS funding, primarily sponsored through the Federal Transit Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation, supports a wide range of programs.
Among these are facilities to enhance mobility projects for seniors and individuals with disabilities as well as pedestrian amenities at bus stops. These investments are part of a broader citywide strategy to improve the experience of RTS riders.
These programs have seen about 13.4% of active grant awards as the majority of the funding goes toward capital and route assistance purposes.
Rossana Passaniti, public information officer for the city of Gainesville, describes the active grants as multilayered and complex.
“Even if a grant description does not specifically mention ADA compliance or helping individuals with disabilities and so forth, there are many of the grants where there is that component," she said. “It’s a very heavy lift to break down the $66 million awards into specific threads."
Shanteria Clemons, a fourth-year University of Florida student studying business management, said she found these numbers to be surprising.
“I’m not well-versed in how much goes into things like installing ramps and wheelchair assistance, but surely more money can be used,” Clemons said
Despite the distribution of these funds, the city of Gainesville is in good standing financially and seizing all opportunities.
“We’re not a city that has a lot of debt on our books, generally we’re not a very large tax city. So we have to take these opportunities,” Gainesville City Commissioner Desmon Duncan-Walker said.
City officials emphasized that grants not only support current city operations but also lay the groundwork for future expansion and service improvements.
Working together through a grant committee, city officials locate funding that will wholly benefit the city of Gainesville. The focus remains on finding federal and state support to create a better city for residents.
Mayor Harvey Ward Jr. expressed his excitement at the city receiving a cumulative $146.4 million in active federal and state grants to improve Gainesville community life and highlighted the importance of having a committee dedicated to finding grants for the city.
“This is money coming back to our community that we have already paid in the form of federal taxes,” Ward said. “So if we don't get it, somebody else is going to get it, and I really like it when our tax money comes back to us to invest in our community.”
Gainesville residents hope to see the allocation of these active grants in amenities that will benefit everyone. Clemons said she would like to see more bus lines that go to her apartment, especially during busier hours.
“There are typically only four buses at peak times as compared to the six we used to have last year, which made getting to and from campus easier,” Clemons said.
For Ikenna Nkwocha, another Gainesville resident, the number of buses is less of a concern than ensuring a smoother experience for riders.
“I know some people who are still having trouble figuring out where their routes are, so maybe there is a way to bypass that so that everyone can have a better bus riding experience,” Nkwocha said.