The first JTA bus arrived at the new Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla on Monday morning, just after 4 a.m.
The multi-modal hub, across from the Prime Osborn Convention Center, integrates local, regional and intercity transportation services in one spot. The building houses administrative offices, the bus transfer facility, and a Skyway station.
JTA Spokesman David Cawton said Monday the $57 million project is a larger, safer improvement from the Rosa Parks transit station.
“This platform here is one single platform. So you know, it's safer for customers. There's real time passenger information displayed throughout the campus. It really positions Jacksonville to have a 21st century, you know, mobility center,” said Cawton, who called the opening a historic moment.
It houses the fixed route buses and First Coast Flyer.
Bus routes affected by the JRTC opening are:
- JTA bus routes: 1, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 27, 32, 33 and 53
- First Coast Flyer Green Line (102), Blue Line (107) and Red Line (109)
- JTA express routes: Mandarin (200), Clay Regional (201) and Beaches (205)
As JTA opens the new facility to customers, bus routes will continue to operate on a modified schedule.
JTA has a hotline to help riders navigate the new terminal and to answer questions about changes to their routes. The JRTC hotline number is (904) 598-8737.
Schedules are available through the Nexbus mobile app, Google Transit and at https://schedules.jtafla.com.
Overall ridership has been down by about half since mid-March due to coronavirus stay-at-home home orders.
- WJCT's Bill Bortzfield contributed to this story.
Michelle Corum can be reached at mcorum@wjct.org, 904-358-6308 or on Twitter at @MCorumonME.
