JTA Set to Debut the New Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla

After three years of construction, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is ready to debut the new Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla – but it won’t look like most grand openings.

The new facility at 100 LaVilla Center Drive will begin handling fixed-route bus operations on Monday, May 4, taking over many of the responsibilities of the existing Rosa Parks Transit Station. Ground-floor waiting areas and ticket kiosks will be accessible, but the JTA is encouraging all customers to abide by local, state, and federal orders as well as CDC guidelines in relation to COVID-19.

The JTA administrative offices, as well as the Skyway, will remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and bus routes will continue to operate on a modified schedule. (The schedule can be viewed at schedules.jtafla.com.)

The $57 million, 67,000-square-foot facility, designed by Pond & Co. and Michael Baker International, features 21 bus bays, 7 additional staging bays, pickup and drop-off areas, and dedicated space for ride-share operations. It also features space reserved for future bike and scooter sharing programs.

Construction on the new complex began in 2017, with its first phase – the LEED Silver-certified Intercity Bus Terminal – opening in 2018 to house local operations for Greyhound, Megabus, and RedCoach. A pedestrian bridge linking the terminal to the main facility is expected to open in June.

While JRTC will take on most of Rosa Parks Transit Station’s duties, the old station will continue serving bus routes 10, 19, and 86, along with the First Coast Flyer’s Red Line. Its Skyway station will also remain in operation, once the Skyway reopens.

The eastern portion of the station will be marketed for transit-oriented development projects.

To learn more about the new JRTC facility, check out the JTA’s dedicated webpage at jrtc.jtafla.com