By Miguel Hernandez
The Emerald Trail is still being built by Groundwork Jacksonville, as its funding relies on the City of Jacksonville and the Jacksonville Transport Authority. However, budget cuts announced by JTA have put a lot of pressure on every part of the agency.
According to a JTA newsletter, they “Announced a series of expense reductions and service modifications designed to pull the agency out of a $39 million budget shortfall.”
While the Groundwork Jacksonville does not exclusively rely upon JTA for development of the trail, it is still a major contributor as much of the trail also follows along JTA transit routes in Jacksonville.
Less than a month after the announcement, the Jacksonville City Council approved 30 million dollars in funds for JTA to keep the agency running. JTA had cut over 200 positions and suspended multiple services including the AI focused NAVI shuttles and the Skyway.
The cut to services and positions means there are less people who can support the trail. Groundwork Jacksonville is not expected to stop development of the Emerald Trail, however progress may slow down as the situation continues.