The way many people who ride Jacksonville Transportation Authority buses, the Skyway, JTA Connexion and Community Shuttles is about to change for the first time in decades.
Funded by a $12 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, JTA is instituting the STAR (Simply Tap And Ride) system.
While currency and coins will still be accepted for single rides, customers will have the option of purchasing a stored-value card available in daily, seven-day and 31-day increments.
A three-day registration event for riders 60 years of age and older and for others who ride free or at a reduced fare was held last week at the Main Library.
JTA Director of Mass Transit Clinton Forbes said Thursday that as many as 4,000 people could be issued the new STAR card.
When the STAR card takes effect systemwide, seniors and reduced-fare riders will no longer be able to ride JTA with their old free- or reduced-fare card or a government-issued picture ID, he said.
Every rider will be required to have the new card.
“This will help us capture our true ridership,” he said.
Forbes said those who were unable to come to the library for their new card last week will be able to take a free shuttle from 8 a.m.-noon this week from the Rosa Parks/FSCJ bus terminal to JTA headquarters on Myrtle Avenue to receive their new card.
He said also that any rider who needs the new card but does not have one will “have a very liberal grace period” to obtain the STAR card after the new system is put into operation.
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