JTA to launch new bus line from beaches to downtown starting Monday

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is launching a new bus line Monday that will make it easier for you to get to and from the beaches.

The new Red Line is part of the First Coast Flyer initiative, which is JTA's version of rapid transit buses.

"We don't have the density in Jacksonville for light rail, for trains, and so what we have is the bus rapid transit which mimics that," says Leigh Ann Rassler, spokeswoman for JTA.

She says the Flyer buses come much more frequently and make fewer stops. They arrive every 10 minutes during peak hours and every 15 minutes during non-peak hours on weekdays.

The new Red Line goes from the Jacksonville Beach bus station to the Rosa Parks Transit Station downtown with 11 stops in between.

The Flyer lines run from 4:10 a.m. to 1 a.m. on weekdays. They start at 5 a.m. on the weekends, running through 1 a.m. on Saturdays and 11 p.m. on Sundays.

The Red Line is the third branch of the Flyer service after JTA previously opened the Green and Blue lines. The Green Line services the North corridor of the city, and the Blue Line runs through the Southeast area of Jacksonville.

JTA expects to open a Purple Line for Southwest Jacksonville by 2020.

"They also have these on-board monitors that are having traffic and weather and real-time news and information, so we are excited to be able to provide that to our customers as well," Rassler says.

If you are interested in trying the Flyer Lines, Rassler says JTA is offering complimentary rides on the Red, Blue and Green lines from Monday until Dec. 9.