Don’t look for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) to start running the skyway late at night or on the weekends, despite its phenomenal popularity during the One Spark Festival.
According to the JTA, the people mover averaged more than 10,000 passengers a day during the five day crowd-funding event, double the number of riders it usually gets.
JTA Vice President of Transit Operations Lisa Darnall calls the figures encouraging.
"What an event like One Spark does for the JTA is it exposes the skyway to residents and visitors who may not have normally taken the skyway. And I think it might be a viable transportation option for the next time they come into the downtown area."
Beyond that, Darnall says, JTA will continue to offer expanded Skyway service during special events like the Jazz Festival and the Florida-Georgia game. But, she says, there are no plans right now to change the schedule permanently.
JTA should know by the end of the week exactly how much it cost to operate the skyway during One Spark.
The skyway runs Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM until 9:00 PM. It connects downtown venues like the Prime Osborn Convention Center and the Jacksonville Landing with the city's Southbank.
Riding the people-mover is currently free through the end of September.
