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 with the JAX themselves claiming 26 buses of varying size as well as 3 paratransit vans. 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
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. 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. In 2002, JCMTD had finally began its first rides. In 2019, the agency began planning on a new operations and maintenance facility in Carbondale. 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. In 2024, JCMTD took over operations of the Saluki Express service in Carbondale previously operated by the Rides Mass Transit District. This also saw the creation of 4 new fixed-routes based on the old Saluki Express Routes. 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. 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.
Service
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. 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.
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.
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.
Fixed Routes 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. RouteTerminiCourseIntervalAvailabilityStartEndSalukifrom SIU Student Center↔to Engineering Crosswalk SIU Student Center (East Side) Neely Hall Logan and Park (East Side) The Pointe Aspen Court Brookside Apartments Georgetown Apartments University Village Student Health Center Mill and Lincoln College and Illinois College Street Apartments (North Side) Poplar and Mill (West Side) Northwest Annex at WHAM Communications Building Thompson Point and Lincoln (South Side) Engineering Crosswalk (South Side)30 minutesMonday-Friday (6:30AM-7:26PM)Nilefrom Evergreen Terrace↔to SIU Equine Center Evergreen Terrace (Entrance) Evergreen Terrace (Exit) Westwood Apartments The Reserve Southern Illinois Research Park SIU Student Center (West Side) Engineering Crosswalk (North Side) Thompson Point and Lincoln (North Side) Life Science Law School McLaffery Annex (West Side) SIU Equine Center30 minutesMonday-Friday (7:00AM-7:12PM) Sahara from Saluki Apartments↔to Wall Street at Walgreens Saluki Apartments Wall and Park Wall and East Campus Drive Wall and Pleasant Hill Road Westwood Apartments The Reserve Evergreen Terrace (Entrance) Evergreen Terrace (Exit) McLaffery Annex (East Side) Thompson Point and Lincoln (South Side) Engineering Crosswalk (South Side) SIU Student Center (East Side) Charlotte West Stadium Grand Avenue Mall Aspen Court Brookside Apartments Superblock Lewis Lane and Walnut Walnut at Sports Blast Carbondale Community High School Kroger Walmart Dollar Tree Harbor Freight Wall Street at Walgreens1 hourMonday-Sunday (7:00AM-7:24PM) Pyramid from SIU Student Center↔to Engineering Crosswalk SIU Student Center (East Side) Charlotte West Stadium Student Health Center Mill and Lincoln Illinois and Freeman SIMMS Sycamore and Michaels Five Rings Armory Sycamore and Glenview S.I. Motorsports Transportation Education Center/S.I. Airport Murdale Shopping Center Old West Main Apartments Schnucks Poplar and Cherry Poplar and Mill Carbondale Towers Communications Building Thompson Point and Lincoln (South Side) Engineering Crosswalk (South Side)1 hourMonday-Sunday (7:30AM-7:24PM) Big Muddy from SIMMS↔to Shawnee Health Services Student Center (East Side) SIMMS Emma Hayes Community Center Student Center (West Side) Saluki Gymnastics Jackson County Health Department Jackson County Courthouse1 hourMonday-Friday (8:00AM-5:00PM)
Rural Routes RouteTerminiCourseStartEndMondayfrom Penny's Perks↔to SIMMS Penny's Perks (9:45AM) Elkville Christian Church (10:10AM) De Soto City Parking (10:30AM) SIMMS (11:00AM / 3:30PM) De Soto City Parking (4:00PM) Elkville Christian Church (4:15PM) Penny's Perks (4:30PM)Tuesdayfrom Campbell Hill Community Center↔to Murphysboro Food Pantry Campbell Hill Community Center (9:50AM) Gabby's on Main (10:15AM) Murphysboro Food pantry (11:00AM / 3:20PM) Gabby's on Main (4:00PM) Campbell Hill Community Center (4:15PM)Wednesdayfrom Vergennes Village Office Parking↔to Murphysboro Food Pantry Vergennes Village Office Parking (9:45AM) Murphysboro Food pantry (10:20AM / 3:20PM) Vergennes Village Office Parking (4:00PM)Thursdayfrom Makanda Downtown↔to SIU Student Center Makanda Downtown (9:45AM) Dollar General (South 51) (10:15AM) SIU Student Center (East Side) (10:25AM / 3:45PM) Dollar General (South 51) (4:00PM) Makanda Downtown (4:30PM)Fridayfrom Grand Tower Townsend Civic Center↔to Murphysboro Food Pantry Grand Tower Townsend Civic Center (9:45AM) Gorham Post Office (10:00AM) Murphysboro Food pantry (10:30AM / 3:20PM) Gorham Post Office (3:50PM) Grand Tower Townsend Civic Center (4:15PM)
Seasonal Routes RouteTerminiCourseLengthAvailabilityTermStartEndSOAR Departurefrom Evergreen Terrace↔to Cedar Lake Boat Ramp Evergreen Terrace (Entrance) SIU Student Recreation Center SIMMS Touch of Nature Post Oak Trail Head (ADA) Devil's Standtable Trail Head Shelter Triliam Trail Head Shelter Makanda Boardwalk Cedar Lake Beach Cedar Lake Boat Ramp1 hour and 30 minutesSaturday (10:00AM-11:30AM)June through SeptemberSOAR Returnfrom Cedar Lake Boat Ramp↔to Evergreen Terrace Cedar Lake Boat Ramp Cedar Lake Beach Makanda Boardwalk Triliam Trail Head Shelter Devil's Standtable Trail Head Shelter Post Oak Trail Head (ADA) Touch of Nature SIMMS SIU Student Recreation Center Evergreen Terrace (Entrance)1 hour and 30 minutesSaturday (3:00PM-4:30PM)
Fixed route ridership
The ridership statistics shown here are of the deviated fixed route services operated by JAX from 2013 to 2023.
See also List of bus transit systems in the United States Rides Mass Transit District Shawnee Mass Transit District South Central Illinois Mass Transit District
References