Virginia College News
Virginia College-JTA Partner on Ridership Program; Tuesday Marks Official Kickoff
Posted: Wednesday, February 10, 2010
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- By all accounts, the JTA Student ID Pass program, started back in January 2008 at Edward Waters College (EWC) in Jacksonville, Florida, has been a smashing success. Over 63,000 trips have been taken by EWC students since the program's inception. Now Virginia College on the city's Southside has signed on as the latest JTA student ride partner.
"The Tiger Ride program has been a tremendous success," said JTA Executive Director and CEO Michael J. Blaylock. "We are very proud to have Virginia College as our newest partner and we hope the students take advantage of the program."
The program, which began on January 1 and has provided more than 2,500 rides to date, officially kicked off with a ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday, February 8 at 3 p.m. The ceremony was held at the Virginia College campus (located at the intersection of Beach and University boulevards). Jacksonville City Councilman Don Redman, Virginia College Jacksonville campus president Milton Anderson, Jr., students and staff from the college, along with officials from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority attended the ceremony.
Virginia College students and faculty now have unlimited access to JTA's transit services. The student ridership fees are paid through an agreement between the college and JTA. Just by showing a valid Virginia College student or employee ID card, JTA's newest customers will be able to board at any JTA or Community Shuttle Bus Stop in the system.
"We have many students who don't have their own transportation. So getting them here to school and here on time can be a challenge," said Anderson. "Providing our students with the option of using JTA eliminates the transportation problem for those students. Now they can concentrate on class and not worry about how they will get home or to work or to school the next day. That's a great thing."
