St. Johns County is asking the community for feedback about the area\u2019s public transit options.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The county receives funding from the Florida Department of Transportation to provide transit services, but that funding is incumbent on updating the county\u2019s transit development plan.<\/p>\n
The survey, conducted by the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization with help from consultant England-Thims & Miller, functions as a key component of the plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The planning organization functions as an independent agency that helps coordinate planning and funding with local governments across North Florida.<\/p>\n
In St. Johns, the only county-funded transit option is the Sunshine Bus<\/a>, run in partnership with the area Council on Aging.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cSt. John\u2019s county receives funding from the state and other sources to provide that service for the county,\u201d says April Bacchus, senior transportatoin planner for England-Thims & Miller. \u201cIt serves the St. Augustine urbanized area, and it also connects the St. Augustine urbanized area to other areas of the county as well.\u201d<\/p>\n This survey is one of many that the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization conducts regarding transportation throughout the area. Last year, the organization surveyed St. Johns County residents about bicycle and pedestrian trails<\/a> throughout the area.<\/p>\n What the surveyors hope to collect is feedback from bus riders about the quality of service, as well as feedback from people who don\u2019t already take the bus.\u00a0<\/p>\n That feedback can be incorporated into the county\u2019s transit development plan and used as guidance for adding future bus routes or altering the Sunshine Bus service. Previous survey results have been used to add service to areas where the population has greatly increased, like the World Golf Village area.<\/p>\n \u201cIt sort of becomes a strategic blueprint for meeting transportation needs,\u201d Bacchus explains, \u201cand specifically public transportation needs within the service area.\u201d<\/p>\n The survey is available on the TPO\u2019s website<\/a> and will remain open until June 1.<\/p>\n Getting around with public transit<\/p>\n