Fla.’s Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) announced that the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has reallocated $7.2 million as a result of the efficient and effective project management of its First Coast Flyer™ North Corridor bus rapid transit (BRT) program.

The $7.2 million will be used to improve sidewalks and ADA ramps within a half mile of the First Coast Flyer™ (FCF) North Corridor stations and construct pedestrian access to the Armsdale Park-n-Ride facility. Bus and pedestrian safety will be improved by reconstructing Armsdale Road to include a curb and gutter, providing lane widths with adequate sidewalks to the Park-n-Ride facility opening this October. This location has one of the highest riderships of our FCF North Corridor service, with a high elderly population living in this area.

Recently, the JTA completed construction of the FCF North Corridor along Lem Turner Road. The community along this corridor is targeted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Ladders of Opportunity Initiative, and received funding from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department as part of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

The North Corridor is an area that continues to need improved and enhanced infrastructure to create and connect workforce opportunities that move more people into the middle class. Even with the improvements made during the FCF North Corridor project, this roadway continues to have significant infrastructure issues with missing sidewalks and lacking ADA accessibility for pedestrian movements.

The FCF is composed of four strategically planned corridors, covering 57 miles of roadway, converging to the downtown bus infrastructure project. When completed, it will be the largest BRT network in the southeast area of the U.S.