Q: What are your service hours?
A:
City Bus service and Fixed Route service:
Monday - Friday 6:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Saturday 10:15 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.
Reserve-A-Ride (door-to-door service)
City Reserve-A-Ride schedule:
Monday - Friday 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday - 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m
Sunday - 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
County Reserve-A-Ride schedule:
Pickup hours are between:
6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
Drop off hours are between:
1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Destination and return locations may be limited to areas near or within the City due to time restraints. Boarding times may vary within the two hour time fram.
School Rides
The service is available during 6:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. weekdays during the school year.
Project Zero (PZ) and Transportation to Work (TTW)
The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. .
Q: Does City Bus Service close on Holidays?
A: City Bus Service is closed on: New Years Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. .
Q: Do drivers make change?
A: Due to safety issues, JTA does not require that drivers make change. .
Q: Are bus transfers free?
A: Yes, just request a transfer when you are paying your fare. .
Q: Do all busses have the ability to accommodate individuals with limited disabilities and/or that requires the use of a wheelchair?
A: Yes. .
Q: I'm disabled, do I have a guaranteed ride on the Reserve-A-Ride service?
A: Because JTA is a public transportation provider, requests are scheduled according to available space without regard to trip purpose. The only exception to this rule is when a passenger has an "Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Paratransit Priority Certification". ADA Certification guarantees service to an individual with a disability only for the "Fixed Route Corridor" surrounding JTA City Bus service. .
Q: I have a complaint. Who do I contact?
A: Click here, or call Dave Vassal at JTA at 1-517-788-7844
.Q: What is JTA?
A: Jackson Transportation Authority ( JTA) is a “public authority” organized and operating under the terms of Act 196 of 1986, as amended, ( Act 196 ) which was passed by the Michigan Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. Act 196 spells out the powers and duties of JTA. In addition, Act 196 provides that JTA shall have articles of incorporation that, among other things, describe the powers, duties and limitations of JTA. (See Section 6 of Act 196)
.Q: What is the service territory of JTA ?
A: Under Act 196 and JTA's articles of incorporation, JTA's service territory is currently confined to the city limits of the City of Jackson .
.Q: Can JTA levy a millage?
A: JTA can levy a millage, but only in its service territory and only after a vote by the majority of registered electors in the City of Jackson . (See Sections 9 and 18 and 17(e) of Act 196)
.Q: Can JTA's service territory be enlarged and how?
A: Section 7 of Act 196 provides the mechanism for enlarging JTA's service territory. For example, the entire County of Jackson could be incorporated into JTA's service territory by a majority vote of the County Board of Commissioners in favor of a resolution joining the JTA and a 2/3 vote of the Board of Directors of JTA amending JTA's articles of incorporation to include all of Jackson County into JTA's service territory. Similarly, a village or a township in Jackson County could also be added to JTA's service territory by a majority vote of the village's or township's legislative body and a 2/3 vote of JTA's Board of Directors. No vote of registered electors is required to enlarge JTA's service territory.
.Q: Can only a part of the county, a village or a township be added to JTA's service territory and how?
A: Section 7 of Act 196 also provides that only part of a political subdivision can be added to JTA's service territory. It takes a majority vote of the legislative body and a 2/3 vote of the JTA's Board of Directors.
.Q: What happens to JTA's taxing authority once its service territory is enlarged?
A: JTA's authority to levy a millage is adjusted to correspond to the area that then comprises its service territory. For example, if the entire County of Jackson became JTA's new service territory, then JTA could levy a millage within the entire county, but only after a vote of the majority of registered electors who vote in the County of Jackson approved the millage. Similarly, if two or three townships plus the City of Jackson became JTA's new service territory, then JTA could level a millage only within those townships and the City of Jackson , and only after a vote of the majority of registered electors who vote in those jurisdictions approved the millage.
.Q: Is there any limit on the size of a millage that JTA could levy?
A: Section 18(2) of Act 196 provides that JTA's millage within its service territory “shall not exceed 5 mills of state equalized valuation . ..”
.Q: If JTA's service territory is currently confined to the City of Jackson , on what basis does it currently provide transportation service outside of the City?
A: Section 14(b) of Act 196 authorizes JTA to provide public transportation services outside of JTA's current service territory and Section 14(h) of Act 196 allows JTA to contract with political subdivisions to serve areas outside of the City of Jackson .
.Q: How are those political subdivisions, such as counties, townships and villages, supposed to pay JTA for the contracted services?
A: Section 17(c) of Act 196 allows JTA's services to be financed by “appropriations or contributions, or other revenue of . . any political subdivision. According to Section 17(e) of Act 196, this would include the proceeds of ad valorem taxes, special assessments or charges imposed pursuant to law and collected by a political subdivision and paid to JTA pursuant to contract.
.Q: Does JTA have any legal authority to levy a millage outside of its service territory?
A: No it does not. JTA can currently levy a tax within the City of Jackson . Section 19 of Act 196 provides that “a political subdivision otherwise granted taxing authority under state law may levy a tax . . . and “appropriate, grant, or contribute the proceeds to JTA . . . or to provide sufficient money to fulfill its contractual obligation to JTA under Section 20.”
.Q: Is a political subdivision required to levy a tax in order to pay JTA for contracted services?
A: No. Section 20(1) of Act 196 gives the political subdivision two contracting options for payment of JTA. The political subdivision can contract with JTA to make payments from the proceeds of taxes or special assessments imposed by the political subdivisions or “out of any other funds legally available.” Whatever the political subdivision chooses to do, Section 20(4) of Act 196 requires the contact to be approved by a resolution of the governing body of the political subdivision.
.Q: If the political subdivision levies the tax to pay for JTA contracted services, is there any limit on the amount of the tax spelled out in Act 196?
A: Section 19 of Act 196 says that such a tax “shall be within charter, statutory, and constitutional limitations” applicable to the political subdivision. On the other hand, JTA's taxing authority is explicitly limited to 5 mills by Section 18(2) of Act 196.
.Q: Who pays the cost of an election to vote on a JTA proposed tax levy in its service territory?
A: If the tax proposal is voted on during a general election, JTA is not required to pay for the cost of the election by Act 196. If the tax proposal is voted upon during a special election, section 18(3) of Act 196 would require JTA to “pay its share of the costs of the election.”
.Q: Who pays the cost of an election by a political subdivision proposing to levy a tax and use the proceeds to pay JTA for contracted services?
A: Act 196 is silent on that point and does not explicitly require JTA to pay the cost of the election.