The First Coast Flyer is a

bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...

(BRT) system in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

, owned and operated by the

Jacksonville Transportation Authority The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is the independent agency responsible for public transit in the city of Jacksonville, Florida, and roadway infrastructure that connects northeast Florida. However, they do not maintain any roadways. ...

(JTA). It currently consists of four radial routes running north, southwest, southeast, and east from the

Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

Downtown Jacksonville Downtown Jacksonville is the historic core and central business district (CBD) of Jacksonville, Florida USA. It comprises the earliest area of the city to be developed and is located in its geographic center along the narrowing point of the St. ...

, where it connects to the

Jacksonville Skyway The Jacksonville Skyway is an automated people mover in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, operated by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Opening in 1989 with three stations in Downtown Jacksonville, the Skyway was extended in 19 ...

. The first phase, including stations in Downtown Jacksonville and the northbound Green Line, opened in December 2015, with the southbound Blue Line opening in 2016. Additional phases, including the eastbound Red Line and southwestern Orange Line opened in 2018 and 2021, respectively.

History and planning

The

began studying building a

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

system for Jacksonville in 2000, and identified

as the best fit for some corridors. The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization added the BRT system to the city's long-range plan. After years of planning, the system, named the First Coast Flyer, broke ground in 2014 with transit improvements in

. The system opened on December 7, 2015, with service Downtown and on the Green Line, running north to Interstate 295. About a year after the system opened, the Blue Line opened for service, running south to The Avenues at the intersection of U.S. 1 (Philips Highway) and

Southside Boulevard State Road 115 (SR 115) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Florida. History SR 115 was built in separately named segments by the Jacksonville Expressway Authority. The land for the southern section, south of Beach Boulevard, was donated by ...

near

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

Routes

Currently, the First Coast Flyer serves stations in

and along the Green, Blue, Red, and Orange Lines. Downtown service runs on Northbound and Southbound routes, and features twelve stations and dedicated lanes for its buses. Downtown service runs from the

(next to the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center), north to the

Rosa Parks Transit Station Rosa Parks Transit Station is an intermodal transit station in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida. It is operated by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority and previously served as Jacksonville's main city bus station as well as a station for the ...

, and south to a station at Kings Avenue on the Southbank.

Green Line

The North Corridor/Green Line Route 102 runs 9.39 miles north through the

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

and

Northside Northside or North Side may refer to: Music * Northside (band), a musical group from Manchester, England * NorthSide, an American record label * NorthSide Festival (Denmark), a music festival in Aarhus, Denmark * "Norf Norf", a 2015 song by Vinc ...

areas. It runs from the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center to Interstate 295 at Lem Turner Road. It serves 11 stations.

Blue Line

The Southeast Corridor/Blue Line Route 107 runs south through the

LaVilla LaVilla is a historic African American neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida and a was formerly an independent city. It developed after the American Civil War and was eventually annexed to the city of Jacksonville in 1887 and is now considered pa ...

, Southbank,

San Marco San Marco is one of the six sestiere (Venice), sestieri of Venice, lying in the heart of the city as the main place of Venice. San Marco also includes the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Although the district includes Piazza San Marco, Saint ...

, and

Southside Southside or South Side may refer to: Places Australia * Southside, Queensland, a semi-rural locality in the Gympie Region Canada * South Side, Newfoundland and Labrador, a community in the St. George's Bay area on the southwest coast of New ...

areas. It runs from the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center to The Avenues at the intersection of U.S. 1 (Philips Highway) and

near

. It serves 12 stations.

Red Line

The Southeast Corridor/Red Line Route 109 runs east from Downtown to

Jacksonville Beach Jacksonville Beach is a coastal resort city in Duval County, Florida, United States. It was incorporated on May 22, 1907, as Pablo Beach, and would later change its name to Jacksonville Beach in 1925. The city is part of group of communities col ...

along

Arlington Expressway The Arlington Expressway, which carries the unsigned State Road 10A (SR 10A) and mostly also the signed State Road 115 in Jacksonville, Florida, is a freeway that heads east from Downtown Jacksonville over the Mathews Bridge to Atlantic Bouleva ...

and Beach Boulevard. It serves 17 stations.

Orange Line

The Southwest Corridor/Orange Line runs south from the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center through

Riverside and Avondale Riverside and Avondale are two adjacent and closely associated neighborhoods, alternatively considered one continuous neighborhood, of Jacksonville, Florida. The area is primarily residential, but includes some commercial districts, including Fi ...

to Orange Park along

Blanding Boulevard State Road 21 (SR 21) runs mostly in a southwest-to-northeast direction in the US state of Florida from McMeekin to Jacksonville. It is also known as Blanding Boulevard for much of its length. SR 21 is one of three routes, along with ...

. It serves 13 stations.

References

{{USBRT Bus rapid transit in Florida Transportation in Jacksonville, Florida 2015 establishments in Florida