(Jacksonville, FL – September 17, 2026) The Jacksonville Transportation Authority announced a series of expense reductions and service modifications designed to pull the agency out of a $39 million budget shortfall.

Expenses in the current budget year that ends September 30th are $178 million and revenues projected for the budget year that will begin on October 1st are $139 million.

“The decisions we are making are difficult, but they are necessary to restore the JTA’s financial stability and protect our ability to provide safe, reliable transportation to Northeast Florida for the long term,” Interim Chief Executive Officer Cleveland Ferguson III said in a memo to employees on Thursday.

Changes include:

• Ending professional services and other contracts that will save the agency about $25 million.

• Eliminating 44 administrative positions as part of a broader restructuring of the organization.

• Reducing operations staff by eliminating up to 150 positions. The JTA will be working with union representation on these changes.

“We recognize the significant impact these decisions have on our colleagues and their families. These decisions are not being made lightly,” Ferguson said. “We are committed to treating every affected employee with dignity and respect and following the appropriate processes as these changes are implemented.”

The JTA will also make the following service changes:

• Pausing Skyway operations on November 2nd.

• Pausing NAVI operations on December 31st.

• Route restructuring previously presented through the JTA’s service-change community meetings will be implemented. Fixed-route bus service will generally operate on a Saturday-level schedule Monday through Friday.

• The First Coast Flyer bus rapid transit system will maintain 20-minute headways, along with Routes 1, 3, 8, 10, and 19 will operate at 30-minute frequencies during the week.

• Seven routes currently operating at 30-minute frequencies will move to 60-minute frequencies and 12 routes will continue to operate at the the existing 60-minute frequencies

• There will be no changes to paratransit services

Ferguson was appointed interim CEO last month and the JTA Board of Directors gave clear direction that the authority’s financial issues needed to be addressed immediately.

“We will have to make more disciplined decisions about where we invest our time and resources,” Ferguson said. “Most importantly, we must focus on stabilizing today to restore tomorrow.”

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About the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is an independent state agency serving Jacksonville, Florida, and Northeast Florida with multi-modal responsibilities. The JTA provides varied mass public transit services and builds roads, bridges, and other infrastructure to enhance mobility in Jacksonville. Public transportation services include BRT and regular bus service, Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (NAVI), paratransit, the St. Johns River Ferry, Skyway APM, and other mobility and on-demand services in Duval, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties. To learn more, visit www.jtafla.com.

Media Contact:
For media inquiries, please contact:

Lynn Opperman
AVP – Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience
Jacksonville Transportation Authority
lopperman@jtafla.com
(904) 676-7225