JAX Mass Transit
 | |
 A JAX bus featuring Saluki Express branding | |
| Formerly | Jackson County Mass Transit District (2002-2024) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1992 |
| Commenced operation | 2002 |
| Headquarters | 975 Charles Rd |
| Service area | Jackson County, Illinois |
| Service type | Bus service, paratransit |
| Routes | 5 |
| Hubs | Southern Illinois Multimodal Station |
| Fleet | 26 buses 3 paratransit vans |
| Annual ridership | 110,175 (2023) |
| Website | ridejax.com |
JAX Mass Transit is a provider of mass transportation in Carbondale, Illinois with five routes serving the region. They also operate Saluki Express, which provides transportation to the students and staff of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. As of 2023, the system provided 110,175 rides over 23,615 annual vehicle revenue hours[1] with the JAX themselves claiming 26 buses of varying size as well as 3 paratransit vans.[2] The service provided by JAX in Carbondale is complemented by Rides Mass Transit District, South Central Illinois Mass Transit District, and Shawnee Mass Transit District.
History
[edit]Public transit in Jackson County began with horsecars in 1905, with the Murphysboro Street Railway Co. In 1908, the horsecars were replaced with streetcars, which in turn were replaced by buses in 1927.[3] In 1992, the Jackson County Board founded what would become the Jackson County Mass Transit District for the sake of providing public transportation across the county.[4] In 2002, JCMTD had finally began its first rides.[5] In 2019, the agency began planning on a new operations and maintenance facility in Carbondale.[6] As part of a Rebuild Illinois grant, the agency received funding for the new facility in 2023, along with funding to build an operations and administrative office in Murphysboro.[7] In 2024, JCMTD took over operations of the Saluki Express service in Carbondale previously operated by the Rides Mass Transit District.[8] This also saw the creation of 4 new fixed-routes based off the old Saluki Express Routes.[9] In October of the same year, the agency announced it would be changing its name from Jackson County Mass Transit District to JAX Mass Transit.[10] In November, they introduced a new app to assist passengers with fixed route schedules and bus tracking as well as the Big Muddy Route which provides Carbondale access to Murphysboro.[11]
Service
[edit]JAX operates five deviated fixed-route bus services, four of which are Saluki Express routes. Three of these routes operate within Carbondale, while two operate between Carbondale and Murphysboro. Riders can board a bus at multiple locations in Carbondale, five locations in Murphysboro, or schedule a ride from a different location.[12] JAX also provides a seasonal service called the Southern Illinois Access Route (SOAR) which operates from June to September. SOAR serves as a scenic route that takes riders to some of the more nature-oriented parts of Jackson County. Riders can be picked up at Evergreen Terrace, the SIU Recreation Center, or the Southern Illinois Multimodal Stations (SIMMS). SOAR features stops at the Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center, Giant City State Park, the Makanda Boardwalk, and Cedar Lake.[13]
Other services provided by JAX includes various microtransit services such as the Saluki Night Shuttle which provides after hours on-demand transportation from 7:00P.M. to 12:00A.M. everyday. JAX also provides paratransit services for Carbondale everyday 7:00A.M to 7:30P.M. and Murphysboro weekdays 7:00A.M. to 5:00P.M. for any eligible riders. The paratransit service mirrors the regular fixed routes provided by JAX. JAX also has rural routes to help provide inter-city access to people outside of Carbondale and Murphysboro. Stops for rural routes can be found in Ava, Campbell Hill, Dowell, De Soto, Elkville, Grand Tower, Gorham, Makanda, and Vergennes.[14]
Hours of regular operation for the system are Monday through Friday from 7:00 A.M. to 7:30P.M. and Weekends from 7:00 A.M. to 7:30 P.M. depending on the route. Regular fares are $2.00.[15][16]
Fixed Routes
[edit]DISCLAIMER: All routes are subject to temporary or permanent modification at the discretion of JAX and may be inaccurately represented on their maps or the following Wikipedia route tables.
| Route | Termini | Course | Interval | Availability | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||||
| Saluki | from SIU Student Center | ↔ | to Engineering Crosswalk |
|
30 minutes | Monday-Friday
(6:30AM-7:26PM) | |
| Nile | from Evergreen Terrace | ↔ | to SIU Equine Center |
|
30 minutes | Monday-Friday
(7:00AM-7:12PM) | |
| Sahara | from Saluki Apartments | ↔ | to Wall Street at Walgreens |
|
1 hour | Monday-Sunday
(7:05AM-7:24PM) | |
| Pyramid | from SIU Student Center | ↔ | to Engineering Crosswalk |
|
1 hour | Monday-Sunday
(7:32AM-7:24PM) | |
| Big Muddy | from SIMMS | ↔ | to Shawnee Health Services |
|
2 hours | Monday-Friday
(7:55AM-3:55PM) | |
Rural Routes
[edit]| Route | Termini | Course | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||
| Monday | from Penny's Perks | ↔ | to SIMMS |
| |
| Tuesday | from Campbell Hill Community Center | ↔ | to Murphysboro Food Pantry |
| |
| Wednesday | from Vergennes Village Office Parking | ↔ | to Murphysboro Food Pantry |
| |
| Thursday | from Makanda Downtown | ↔ | to SIU Student Center |
| |
| Friday | from Grand Tower Townsend Civic Center | ↔ | to Murphysboro Food Pantry |
| |
Seasonal Routes
[edit]| Route | Termini | Course | Length | Availability | Term | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | |||||||
| SOAR Departure | from Evergreen Terrace | ↔ | to Cedar Lake Boat Ramp |
|
1 hour and 30 minutes | Saturday
(10:00AM-11:30AM) |
June through September | |
| SOAR Return | from Cedar Lake Boat Ramp | ↔ | to Evergreen Terrace |
|
1 hour and 30 minutes | Saturday
(3:00PM-4:30PM) | ||
Fixed route ridership
[edit]The ridership statistics shown here are of the deviated fixed route services operated by JAX from 2013 to 2023.[17]
See also
[edit]- List of bus transit systems in the United States
- Rides Mass Transit District
- Shawnee Mass Transit District
- South Central Illinois Mass Transit District
References
[edit]- ^ "2023 Annual Agency Profile - Jackson County Mass Transit District" (PDF). Retrieved September 27, 2025.
- ^ "Staff". Ride JAX. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
- ^ "Transit Systems in Illinois". Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ "Jackson County Mass Transit | Jackson County, IL". www.jacksoncounty-il.gov. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ "About JAX Mass Transit". Ride JAX. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ "New transportation facility in the works in Jackson County". WSILTV.com. December 18, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ Marilyn Halstead (January 26, 2023). "Jackson County Mass Transit District receives $3.2M in Rebuild Illinois grants". The Southern Illinoisan. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
- ^ "Saluki Express bus service has new provider, routes". SIU News. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
- ^ Wilcoxen, Brandyn (August 13, 2024). "Saluki Express bus service has new provider and new routes". The Southern Illinoisan. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
- ^ Ruch, Amber (2024-10-04). "Jackson Co. Mass Transit unveils new name, brand". KFVS-TV. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ Mathis, Christi (2024-11-06). "SIU's Saluki Express JAX Go app provides convenience for riders". WSIU. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ "Routes". Ride JAX. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ "SOAR". Ride JAX. Retrieved 2025-09-27.
- ^ "Rural Routes". Ride JAX. Retrieved 2025-09-28.
- ^ "Routes". Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "Fares and Passes". Retrieved March 6, 2025.
- ^ "The National Transit Database (NTD)". Retrieved August 31, 2023.