November 2019: Jackson County Transit Feasibility Study Undertaken

The Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization, in conjunction with Jackson County, has undertaken a transit feasibility study in and for Jackson County. Due to rapid urbanization and resulting population growth, Jackson County is expected to lose or receive significantly less of federal transit operation funds earmarked for rural areas and receive funds dedicated for urban areas instead after the 2020 Census population counts come out around 2023. This change of funding has significant repercussion for the county. The transit study will assess these changing financial circumstances in the county and recommend transit service options that seem feasible in the future. Such options may include starting new fixed-route service, replacing or supplementing demand-response service, and/or exploring micro-transit ride-share services to meet the county population’s transit service needs. The study is expected to be completed by June 2020.