Growth is usually a good thing. It shows the local community that our businesses are thriving. More and more people find out about the “well kept” secret and decide to move in. The size of the town increases quickly which leads to traffic issues. Does this story sound familiar?
Gainesville’s Downtown Growth
A lot has changed around the Gainesville square since the 1936 tornado leveled almost everything. The second deadliest tornado in US history decimated the square that year. Unfortunately many lives were lost that day and most all buildings were damaged or destroyed. Fast forward to 2021 construction on many projects are underway. The growth is great news but there is a catch. The close proximity of the downtown area is causing traffic issues. Luckily the local city government thought of an idea that would help move people around the area when need. What was there brainy idea? They purchased golf carts to help move people around more efficiently.
Downtown Get Around
The name of the golf cart shuttle program is Downtown Get Around. Gainesville applied for and received a federal grant to cover the purchase of their new golf cart. Funding to operate is provided by local tax dollars. Upon speaking to Nicole Ricketts ( downtown manager ) about who she had driving the carts, I was informed that during the summer months it has mostly been students. Now with school starting back she said they are looking to fill the driver positions.
As to how long this program will last she wasn’t totally sure. Nicole said “After downtown construction is complete we will reevaluate the service and decide how to proceed”. It is clear the city is aware that with growth comes some growing pains. They have done their best to implement a program to move people around the construction area. We recently posted on Facebook about the Downtown Get Around shuttle service to see what people thought. Below you can see some of their comments.
As local attorney Scotty Ball said in his comment getting around downtown on your feet is still the best way to go. No traffic jams or slowdowns when you walk around. Even while construction is happening downtown is still a really great place to visit. There is a plethora of wonderful businesses and restaurants that would love to have you stop by. If you are concerned about congestion may we suggest visiting downtown Gainesville on a week night. If you go after 6pm there will be no construction at all. Leave us a comment down below telling us what your thoughts are on the city provided golf cart shuttle service. We appreciate you checking out this article and hope to see you downtown soon!
