JTA Eliminates Four Bus Routes, Adds Route 34 and Cuts Weekday Service as Jacksonville Changes Take Effect

Jacksonville bus riders woke up Monday, Nov. 2, to sweeping service cuts from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority: four bus routes eliminated, a new Route 34, realigned routes across the Southside and Arlington, and weekday buses on most lines now running on a Saturday-level schedule. The changes, which JTA posted to its website Oct. 30, are the rider-facing piece of the agency's plan to close a $39 million budget gap.

What changed on Monday

According to the service notice JTA released and Action News Jax published Monday morning, the changes fall into four groups: eliminated routes, realigned routes, one new route, and new timetables on dozens of existing lines.

• Eliminated: Routes 18, 25, 32 and 82.
• Realigned: Routes 10, 23, 24, 28, 31 and 105, the Orange Line.
• New: Route 34.
• Also listed with changes: Route 202, the Mayport Express, though the notice did not detail them.

New schedules also took effect on the following lines, by service day:

The downtown Skyway also stopped carrying passengers Monday. JTA has told downtown riders to use the First Coast Flyer and other fixed bus routes instead.

The routes that are gone

The four eliminated routes were approved by JTA's board in August after public meetings over the summer. Based on JTA's proposal materials and local news coverage, here is what each served and where riders are being pointed:

Route 18 drew the strongest pushback. News4JAX reported in July that residents along Kona Avenue said it was the only bus running both directions on their street, including downtown, and that the Route 19 alternative requires a walk to Regency Square. JTA's director of customer experience told the station the agency would help riders check whether they qualify for paratransit service.

The new Route 34 and other realignments

Under JTA's proposal, Route 23 was split in two. Route 23 keeps its existing alignment to Florida State College at Jacksonville's South Campus, while the new Route 34 runs from FSCJ South Campus to the Avenues Walk area using Deerwood Park Boulevard and Southside Boulevard instead of Gate Parkway. Route 10 was redrawn to pick up the former Route 18 alignment on Arlington Road. Riders on Routes 24, 28, 31 and the Orange Line should check JTA's new maps, since the notice listed route changes for each without spelling them out.

Fewer buses on weekdays

The broadest change is frequency. Starting Nov. 2, weekday service moved to a Saturday schedule, with JTA preserving frequency on its highest-ridership lines, according to the plan the agency announced Sept. 17 and reported by News4JAX:

For riders who use buses to reach jobs, school or medical appointments, that means longer waits and tighter transfers on many lines. JTA's interim CEO, Cleveland Ferguson III, framed the cuts as temporary when he announced them, telling reporters: "The faster we get back on strong financial footing, the sooner we can reinstate the service level."

Why JTA is cutting

The JTA board approved a $139 million operating budget for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, down from $178 million, a $39 million reduction, according to News4JAX. The plan includes about $24.9 million in contract savings, the release of 44 more administrative employees and up to 150 frontline operations positions, on top of earlier layoffs and furloughs. Pausing Skyway passenger service saves about $10 million this fiscal year, and the NAVI autonomous shuttle downtown is set to pause Jan. 1, 2027, saving about $487,000 a month.

When the board approved the route eliminations in August, JTA chief operating officer Jeffrey Smith said the agency expected annual savings of $12,164,000 from the service changes, and that administrative cuts came first. "This is not just about service. The cuts and service was the last thing we did," Smith said, according to Action News Jax. The board also cut weekday St. Johns River Ferry hours by 90 minutes and ended curb-to-curb ReadiRide on-demand shuttles in their zones.

The cuts follow months of turmoil over JTA's finances, including Jacksonville City Council scrutiny of former leadership and a $30 million city loan from gas tax revenue approved in October, according to local reporting. The Florida Press has covered the agency's financial crisis and the Skyway shutdown separately.

What riders should do

• Check the new timetables JTA posted Oct. 30 on its website before your next trip, especially on weekdays, when most local routes now run hourly.
• Former Route 18, 25, 32 and 82 riders should map a trip on the alternative routes listed above and allow for transfers.
• Riders with disabilities who lost a nearby route can ask JTA whether they qualify for paratransit service.
• Downtown Skyway riders should plan on the First Coast Flyer or local buses.

What's next

More changes are already scheduled. The base bus fare rises 25 cents, from $1.75 to $2 per ride, on Jan. 1, 2027, the same day NAVI service pauses. The Skyway's future remains unresolved. JTA leaders have said they intend to restore service as the agency's finances stabilize, but they have not set a timeline, and the agency's budget and leadership will remain under City Council scrutiny in the months ahead.