JTA says the rest of the Fare Modification Pilot Program, which includes “significant” fare reductions for majority of JTA customers, will begin Feb. 1 as planned.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority said Thursday that it will postpone one element of the Fare Modification Pilot Program, keeping pricing as is for the Connexion Plus service until April 1.

The decision was made Thursday after JTA held several public meetings where disabled riders shared their stories of how they rely on Connexion Plus.

“We listened and we heard you,” JTA Board of Directors Chair Aundra Wallace said in a release.

The rest of the Fare Modification Pilot Program, which includes “significant” fare reductions for the majority of JTA customers, including the shared-ride Connection paratransit service, will begin Feb. 1 as originally approved by the board in December.

Connexion is the City of Jacksonville’s paratransit service provided by JTA. Connexion provides shared public transportation for people with disabilities who are functionally unable to use fixed-route services for their transportation needs, as well as for people who are transportation disadvantaged.

JTA initially proposed combining Connexion Plus, an on-demand, private door-to-door service much like an Uber or Lyft ride, with the JTA’s original Connexion paratransit service, which the agency says offers many of the same services as Connexion Plus.

After hearing community concerns at JTA’s public input meetings, JTA said staff on Jan. 12 proposed keeping the service with a modified fare structure. 

During Thursday’s Board of Directors meeting, Wallace asked staff to postpone the Connexion Plus fare changes while they continue to work with customers and partners on a fare structure that works “best for everyone.” The board then unanimously approved the postponement.

In fiscal year 2022, the total cost of Connexion Plus was $2.8 million, according to JTA. In 2025, Connexion Plus cost $6.3 million, an increase of 124%. JTA says costs are projected to top $8 million in 2026.

With the proposed fare modification structure, JTA said it would still cover more than 75 percent of the cost for the average Connection Plus ride.

Furthermore, JTA said Board Secretary Max Glober will lead a board subcommittee that will look at ridership and work with staff on fares and community partnerships to sustain the Connexion Plus program.

“I am confident we’ll find a solution,” JTA CEO Nat Ford said during Thursday’s JTA Board of Directors meeting.