JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (April 8, 2024) — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's (JTA) My Ride to School program has increased monthly ridership by over 80% since the service began in August 2022.
My Ride to School offers Duval County middle and high school students free rides on JTA buses at no cost, and ridership has increased from 7,821 in August 2022 to 37,710 in January 2024. Over this period, JTA has successfully provided over 213,000 trips to students utilizing this initiative across various routes, with the top five being Route 3, Route 1, Route 19, Route 13, and Route 14.
"We are appreciative of JTA's My Ride to School initiative, which helps ensure increased access to safe and reliable transportation for many of our students," said Duval County Public Schools' Chief of Operations Erika Harding. "JTA has been a wonderful partner in our collective goal to remove any roadblocks students may have in commuting to school, home, or places of work, and we're excited to know that even more students are taking advantage of this program."
Before boarding, students must provide a valid ID, or one issued to them through the JTA and their school. Students can choose from thirty-four JTA bus routes, including First Coast Flyer, that stop at or near local schools.
"Eighty-nine percent of high school students and seventy-eight percent of middle school students are less than a half-mile walk to their nearest bus stop," said JTA Chief Operations Officer Jeff Smith. "The My Ride to School program leverages our existing services to provide Duval County students with safe and convenient transportation to and from school."
JTA is committed to ensuring that all students in Duval County have reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from school.
"Access to transportation is vital to the lives of the residents we serve," said JTA Chief Executive Officer Nat Ford. "Through the My Ride to School service, we're providing mobility and independence to students, and the JTA is proud to see ridership growing."
For more information regarding the My Ride to School program, patrons can call JTA Customer Service at (904) 630-3100.
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About the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is a state agency and an independent special district serving Jacksonville, Florida, and Northeast Florida with multi-modal responsibilities. The JTA provides varied mass public transit services and builds roads, bridges, and other infrastructure to enhance mobility in Jacksonville. Public transportation services include bus-rapid transit (BRT) and regular bus service, paratransit, the St. Johns River Ferry, Skyway APM, and other mobility and on-demand services in Duval, Clay, Baker, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. To learn more, visit www.jtafla.com.