JTA reports modest ridership growth in Clay County, flags low‑use routes for redesign
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Summary
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority told the Clay County commission ridership on local flex and transportation‑disadvantaged services has grown modestly this fiscal year but two flex lines (Green and Magenta) show persistently low use; JTA said it will explore service model adjustments and short‑term route changes.
Carl Weckerman and JTA staff presented the quarterly update on April 22 describing local ridership, on‑time performance and near‑term adjustments. JTA reported year‑over‑year increases in ridership for fiscal year 2025 in the county’s local services (which include four flex lines and paratransit/transportation disadvantaged service), with March 2025 carrying roughly 3,000–4,000 local customers and about 4,000 customers system‑wide on flex and TD combined.
The Blue Line — serving Green Cove Springs, Fleming Island, Orange Park and NAS Mayport — has the highest ridership; Weckerman said it carries more passengers than the other flex lines combined. Red Line (Blanding Boulevard to Middleburg/Orange Park) also showed healthy loads. By contrast, the Green Line (Keystone Heights–Green Cove Springs–Fleming Island) and the Magenta Line (limited daily trips from Keystone Heights toward Gainesville/VA clinic) have low boardings and are flagged for possible redesign.
Weckerman said the express service linking Clay County park‑and‑ride locations to Downtown Jacksonville averaged only 100–200 riders per day and will receive new vehicles after a change in contractor. He noted TD on‑time performance dipped below the 90% target last fall but that contractor adjustments were improving performance; on‑time definitions for demand response were clarified as 15 minutes either side of scheduled arrival plus a 5‑minute wait (roughly a 25‑minute window) for these services.
JTA and county staff have begun targeted outreach to social service providers to understand unmet travel needs (for example to clinics on College Drive and Clay Behavioral Health) and will perform a staff tour of county locations to inform short‑term changes and possible longer‑term reconfigurations. Short‑term changes under consideration included adding a stop to serve Baptist Medical Center Clay County (already implemented for the Blue Line) and route changes to better serve College Drive and County Road 220. Longer‑term options include microtransit on demand for lower‑density corridors and reconsidering route footprints where ridership remains low.
County commissioners asked about funding splits (flex lines typically carry a 50/50 local/state competitive grant match), the definition of on‑time performance and whether Oakleaf and growing subdivisions could get service. Weckerman said JTA is preparing software and microtransit options in Duval County over the next year that could be evaluated for Clay. He encouraged commissioners to flag particular stops or neighborhoods for the upcoming staff tour so JTA can include them in the short‑term recommendations.
