JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Amid a period where inflation has driven up costs across the board, Jacksonville transit users will receive some financial relief. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) plans to reduce bus fares from $1.75 to $1, effective February, harking back to prices from 2011.

Additionally, starting December 15, JTA will eliminate fares for its NAVI transit shuttles operating in downtown Jacksonville, allowing passengers to ride these vehicles for free once more.

This fare decrease is expected to impact thousands of passengers, with JTA anticipating that the lower cost will not only attract more riders but also boost revenue from fare collections. The success of this initiative will be evaluated during a pilot program running from February 1 to August 31.

The decision to implement these fare changes was unanimously approved by the JTA board during their meeting on December 11.

JTA board members unanimously approved the fare reduction at their Dec. 11 meeting.

“It was out of the blue to even think of reducing fares,” JTA board member Elaine Brown said. “And in this time when we have so many people that are pinching pennies, it is certainly very timely for us to be giving — and I’m going to say this word — but I consider it a gift. This is a gift to Jacksonville.”

“There is no other metropolitan region in the state of Florida, let alone the Southeast that we know of, that’s proposing such an initiative,” JTA board member Aundra Wallace said.

He said the JTA staff put forward the idea for a fare cut without prompting from the board or anyone outside the agency. He said the amount of fare cut isn’t “25 cents or 50 cents” but is a substantial change at 75 cents.

“JTA is known for innovation and this is, I think, an innovative approach that we’ll be looking forward to seeing the results,” Wallace said.

Editor’s note: This story was first published by our news partners, The Florida Times-Union.