ABOUT THE JTA
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority , an independent state agency serving Duval County, has multi-modal responsibilities. JTA designs and constructs bridges and highways and provides varied mass transit services. JTA has a challenging role serving the largest city in the continental US by landmass. An integrated transportation network is a critical element in any community to properly manage growth, provide mobility, and offer a higher quality of life.
Transit services include express and regular bus service, community shuttles for a neighborhood ride, the downtown Skyway monorail, the St. Johns River Ferry, the Gameday Xpress for various sporting events at TIAA Bank Field, Paratransit for the disabled and elderly, and Ride Request on-demand services.
ABOUT THE U 2 C The Ultimate Urban Circulator (U 2 C) is a collaboration with JTA, the City of Jacksonville, North Florida TPO, JEA, and JAX Chamber to create a national model for the deployment of autonomous vehicles. The existing Skyway will be converted and smart technologies such as dynamic signals, connected intersections, integrated data exchange, pedestrian sensors, flood warning sensors, and power consumption reduction will be installed.
Through this, our community members will experience a lower-stress life without complete dependence on vehicles for mobility. The ability to inter-connect micro-mobility and transit options to desired destinations will improve health, as well as our community's economy and environment.
The goal of the U 2 C program is to transform Jacksonville's communities by making them more compact, walkable, and pedestrian-oriented through access to JTA’s multi-modal transit options.
PHASES
PHASE I - Bay Street Innovation Corridor The first phase of the U 2 C program is the Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC). This route is the East Corridor and extends from the current terminal of the Skyway’s Central Station towards the Sports & Entertainment District and TIAA Bank Field. The federally funded project will be the initial phase of the U 2 C program and will introduce autonomous vehicles along a key transportation corridor in Downtown Jacksonville. • East Corridor - This corridor features offices,
hospitality, restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment. Extensive plans for mixed-use development are underway adjacent to all three proposed station locations. The increased number of residents, employees, and visitors will make this an active corridor with many pedestrian-accessible features.
$65.6 million Local, State, Federal Funding ($12.5 million BUILD $13 million FDOT)
PHASE II - Skyway Conversion Phase II of the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U 2 C) represents the full conversion of the existing Skyway Superstructure and eight stations into an elevated roadway for autonomous vehicles The current bi-directional tracks run approximately 2.5 miles in each direction. Launching from the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla (JRTC), the
U 2 C elevated sections will stretch to four additional stations on the Downtown Northbank, and across the St. Johns River over the Acosta Bridge to three stations on the Downtown Southbank. Phase II also includes the street level connection to Phase I, BSIC. • West Corridor - The LaVilla area has a rich history as a town that grew around a railroad hub and became the center of African
$246.7 million Local Option Gas Tax Funding
American culture and nightlife, earning the moniker “Harlem of the South.” LaVilla is undergoing a revitalization that includes new residential and business development, coupled with park and trail amenities.
PHASE III - Neighborhood Extensions JTA continues to advance the design of the Bay Street Innovation Corridor. A Transit Concepts and Alternatives Review (TCAR) planning exercise was completed in FY 2020 that identified alternatives for each of the proposed Skyway corridor extensions including:
• Southwest Corridor - Brooklyn and Riverside host large office towers just over the edge of Downtown and melt into a blend of historic homes and eclectic shops and restaurants. Redevelopment in the northern portion of the corridor is bringing more places to live, work, shop, and dine. Planned autonomous vehicles will help connect future residents to areas within the corridor, as well as invite them to explore nearby neighborhoods reachable by the U 2 C program.
$1.72 million FTA RAISE Grant
• Southbank Corridor - The Southbank portion of the corridor boasts medical, office, and residential towers. The historic San Marco neighborhood has charming homes and small businesses. • North Corridor - The historic Springfield area was once served by streetcars along Main Street and has undergone a renaissance with new and renovated homes and shops. The area’s residents and business owners are highly engaged in the community and host neighborhood festivals and events.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030
TCAR I
Test & Learn Program
BSIC Design BSIC Construction
TCAR II
Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BUILD)
U 2 C Phase II
U 2 C Phase III
ABOUT TEST & LEARN AV Test and Learn Facility The Test and Learn program within the Automation & Innovation division at the JTA is at the forefront of implementing autonomous vehicles into the public transportation sector. This program leverages the resources of the JTA along with key partnerships with local institutions to provide insight and
feedback to the rest of the organization. There are two test and learn track sites:
JTA Armsdale Test and Learn Facility
JTA FSCJ Cecil Center Campus
These sites are a vital component to the development of the U 2 C program and creating an autonomous transportation network. They enable JTA to gain critical information for the development of the U 2 C program and future applications of autonomous transit vehicles as part of its overall public transportation system.
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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT Since 2019, JTA has partnered with the Florida State College in Jacksonville on projects that provide opportunities for formal training on autonomous mobility solutions including: • AV Operations and Fleet Management • AV Command Center Monitoring and Incident Response • AV Fleet Maintenance In 2022, FSCJ was awarded accreditation for their autonomous and connected vehicles curriculum. The JTA and its partners were active participants on their Business and Industry Leadership Team, tasked with creating this first of a kind curriculum. JTA and our U 2 C private partners recognize the need to prepare the workforce of the future for exciting job opportunities in autonomous mobility. We are also addressing factors which might impact public transit and the legacy labor force with the introduction of autonomous mobility as a public transportation service. This includes providing the existing workforce with the necessary training on additional skills to secure new, often higher paying technology centric roles, that will come available as agencies augment their existing services with autonomous technology solutions. FSCJ AV SHUTTLE The JTA, FSCJ and Beep Inc. have deployed a new mobility service for students, faculty and visitors on the FSCJ Downtown Jacksonville campus. The autonomous and elective vehicle shuttle connects the Advanced Technology Center, President’s office, and Cafeteria over a one-mile route to enhance
movement between these segmented areas of campus. As part of the autonomous vehicle program, FSCJ’s Downtown Campus, faculty, staff and students experience autonomous vehicles operating on campus first-hand. Feedback and learnings from the program build upon the existing knowledge base of this emerging technology as it continues to develop the FSCJ curriculum, skillset and workforce to support these transformative transportation solutions. The project is one of many planned "Agile”
Storage and Charging at the Truck Center
programs pioneered by the JTA team to prepare the Jacksonville community for the future of transportation through the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U 2 C) program. These important projects will validate the wide variety of applications for autonomous vehicles throughout the community ahead of the launch of phase one of the U 2 C, the Bay Street Innovation Corridor in 2025. Expanding the testing of autonomous vehicles in FSCJ’s Downtown Campus will also continue to ready the community for how autonomous technology will enhance the quality of life for all who learn, live, and work in the City of Jacksonville.
DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS The JTA shares a common goal and enthusiasm with Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) when it comes to supporting local students and promoting STEM education. In 2021, JTA and DCPS began collaborating on how SMART technology and public school education could be woven into a program that included exposure to the U 2 C Program and autonomous vehicles. The result of this collaboration was the implementation of a U 2 C AV Roadshow which provides students with an on-site field trip to learn how STEM plays a role in their everyday lives, and how the JTA is pushing the technological boundaries to provide safe and effective services to the Jacksonville community. At the events, the students hear from engineers and technology leaders about AVs, and careers in technology, and learn about STEM on our custom-outfitted STEM Bus/Mobile Command Center. The students are provided an autonomous vehicle and SMART technology activity sheet ahead of the on-site visit as an introduction to AVs and autonomous technology. The events are interactive, and allow the JTA team members to have conversations with the students, and the students to interact with AI technology, to learn about the exciting world of autonomous technology. More than 3000 students have been exposed to autonomous technology via this program.
Jacksonville Transportation Authority 100 LaVilla Center Drive Jacksonville, FL 32204 jtafla.com
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