Mandarin bus riders face a different Orange Line starting Monday, Nov. 2, after the Jacksonville Transportation Authority cut service across the city.

Route 105, the First Coast Flyer Orange Line that runs through the Mandarin corridor, received both schedule changes and route changes affecting weekday, Saturday and Sunday service, according to a JTA service alert posted Oct. 30. Route changes mean the bus now travels to different stops.

JTA interim CEO Cleveland Ferguson said in September that the First Coast Flyer would continue running every 20 minutes, WOKV reported. But other routes saw steep frequency reductions. Twelve routes now run every hour, Ferguson said.

The changes are part of $39 million in cuts the agency made to address a budget crisis, News4Jax reported. More than 20 routes have new schedules.

Four routes gone, one added

JTA eliminated four routes entirely: Routes 18, 25, 32 and 82. Route 18 had served Regency Square Mall, the Walmart on Monument Road and the Monument Post Office, according to News4Jax. The agency added one new line, Route 34.

The downtown Skyway elevated people mover is also paused. It had been set to stop running Monday, Nov. 2, but shut down early on Friday, Oct. 30, because of staffing shortages, News4Jax reported. Riders arriving at the La Villa Skyway platform found the entrance fenced off.

What's behind the cuts

The JTA board approved a $139 million budget for the fiscal year, down from $178 million the year before, according to News4Jax. The agency laid off nearly 200 employees.

Jacksonville City Council voted unanimously Oct. 13 to approve a no-interest loan of up to $30 million from local gas tax revenue to help stabilize the agency, Jacksonville Today reported. JTA must repay the city by 2037.

Council member Ron Salem called the $30 million "the beginning of a process" of stabilizing the agency before that vote, according to Jacksonville Today.

Fitch Ratings downgraded JTA's credit rating two notches, from AA+ to AA-, on Oct. 21, citing weakened financial resilience, News4Jax reported. A fare increase is also planned for next year, raising the base fare from $1.75 to $2, according to Jacksonville Today.

What Mandarin riders should do

Riders can pick up new schedules at the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla, any public library, a Tax Collector's Office or CareerSource Northeast Florida, according to JTA. Riders can also call JTA Customer Service at (904) 630-3100 for route details.