[January 17, 2008] Jacksonville Transportation Authority teams with college on bus fee Tweet (Florida Times-Union, The (Jacksonville) (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Jan. 17--Jacksonville Transportation Authority expects to generate more than $20,000 during its first semester providing bus service for Edward Waters College students. A joint venture between the authority and the school was launched Wednesday. Through the deal, Edward Waters will pay a fee of $28.50 for each student. In turn, the students will be able to use their college identification cards like bus passes to ride the entire network of JTA routes and the Skyway. Authority spokesman Mike Miller said the Northside college is the first school to partner with JTA. He said the authority has embarked on two similar agreements recently, one of them a Flagler Center commuter route from the Argyle area. Miller said it's too early to tell how much money the Flagler Center route and another route taking service-sector employees from the city to Ponte Vedra Beach will make for JTA. Authority officials estimate the deal with Edward Waters should generate more than $20,000 each semester based on the school's enrollment of roughly 800 students. The fee will be paid for each student, regardless of whether they use the bus. Miller said the $28.50 rate is reduced from what's typically a $40 monthly rate for people seeking a systemwide pass. JTA is not adding routes for the Edward Waters partnership. Miller said three routes already run through the campus, which is off Kings Road. Edward Waters President Claudette Williams said the service will give access to less-well-to-do commuters and enable students to explore Jacksonville's shopping and cultural centers more easily. "It's not just good for the school but good for the city," she said. She added, "Good transportation is critical to student recruitment." Williams said there are no plans to absorb the cost of the service through a tuition hike. Miller said the authority is trying to strike similar arrangements with the other colleges in the area. Throughout the nation, there are hundreds of programs between colleges and transportation authorities. Pamela Boswell, vice president for program management and educational services for the American Public Transportation Association, said the programs began to emerge in the mid- to late 1990s as a way to combat campus traffic and parking problems while promoting student mobility. From a marketing side, she said the programs help lock in riders after graduation. "What they're saying is that once the service is introduced, more and more students are riding," she said. To see more of The Florida Times-Union -- including its homes, jobs, cars and other classified listings -- or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.jacksonville.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]