Healthy Communities

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) advances sustainability through its internal operations and through interactions with the larger Jacksonville community. The JTA’s transit services provide mobility to low-income and underserved populations who might otherwise have limited options to get to businesses, work, or school. The JTA also works to improve the quality of life for customers living in its service territory from health and wellness and equity programs to engaging its own employees in sustainable behaviors. The JTA is committed to improving the health of customers onboard its services and through promoting a healthy workforce. The Authority works to achieve these goals by protecting the environment, reducing pollution through its transit services, connecting customers to health resources, and through a variety of initiatives. The Authority seeks to improve community health by promoting Transit-Oriented Development and bicycle and pedestrian initiatives. The JTA also sponsors wellness programs and local food programs that address the needs of community members who live in a food desert or lack access to healthy meals. The Authority seeks to advance sustainability by engaging its own employees.

Transit-Oriented Development and Multimodal Solutions

Transit-Oriented Development, or TOD, is a compact, high density, multimodal, mixed-use form of development within one-half mile of a transit station that maximizes existing infrastructure. TOD is a departure from automobile-oriented, sprawling development patterns to more pedestrian-oriented, transit-friendly format that combines, residential, commercial, and recreational uses within a walkable distance of a premium transit service. A TOD is typically designed with smaller block sizes, with the densest areas normally located within a radius of one-quarter to on-half mile around the central transit stop. TOD supports an environment suited for bicyclists and pedestrians and creates unmatched accessibility. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is committed to improving the environment for bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as transit users, through programs such as bike share, micromobility, complete streets and multipurpose trails.

Local Food Programs

Due to Jacksonville’s size and the distribution of low-income populations, it faces challenges related to food deserts. Food deserts are a geographic area lacking access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas, largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers. To help address food deserts, the JTA partners with local non-profits to host a farmer’s market at its primary transit hub. In February 2020, the Authority partnered with the city of Jacksonville to launch “Door 2 Store,” which provides complimentary rides to eight grocery stores in North Jacksonville through the ReadiRide service. The JTA also provides hurricane relief and conducts local food drives throughout the year through the JTA Cares employee program.

Regional Business Equity

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) seeks to ensure that its services, fares and contracting procedures are equitable and non-discriminatory and do not adversely impact minority or disadvantaged populations. These goals are accomplished through Title VI reporting, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program, and the Disparate Impact Policy. The JTA’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program establishes guidelines for the participation of firms owned and operated by socially and economically disadvantaged persons in DOT-assisted contracting. The DBE program seeks to create a level playing field for DBEs to compete fairly for DOT-assisted contracts, ensures non-discrimination and removes barriers to participation. The JTA’s Disparate Impact Policy is designed to establish a threshold that defines when adverse effects of a major service or fare changes are borne disproportionately by minority populations. It applies to employees involved in making fare-based decisions that may or may not affect low income and minority populations. A disparate impact occurs when the minority population adversely affected by a fare change or major service change is ten percent (10%) more than the average minority population of the JTA’s transit service area.

Employee Engagement

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) values our employees and puts extreme importance into their health and well-being and career success. The JTA engages its employees and creates a sustainable culture within the organization by developing sustainability policies and accompanying them with an education program aimed at building support for the sustainability initiative. The JTA also affords our staff the opportunity to participate in several training programs that address employee safety, compliance and technical skills, to increase their competencies, and to support employee retention through ongoing training. The physical wellbeing of our staff is also important, as a comfortable work environment and increased physical health can contribute to reduced absenteeism and more productivity. The JTA provides a wellness program for our employees that promotes an active and healthy workforce.