MESSAGE FROM THE CEO On June 30, 2025, the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) became the first public transportation agency in the United States to fully deploy autonomous vehicles in revenue service with the launch of the Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (NAVI) program along Bay Street. This milestone reflects far more than the introduction of new technology; it represents the disciplined application of subject- matter expertise, courageous leadership, and sustained community engagement to transform a long-held vision into a scalable public mobility solution. Over the past decade, the JTA deliberately evolved from a traditional transit operator into a modern mobility organization. Guided by Blueprint 2020 and the Route Optimization Initiative, the Authority redesigned an aging bus network while simultaneously strengthening its internal capabilities in governance, risk management, workforce development, and data-driven decision- making. This dual responsibility—modernizing the future while keeping legacy infrastructure safe, reliable, and operational—required technical rigor, institutional memory, and a willingness to rethink long-standing assumptions. Perhaps the most consequential decision was reimagining the Skyway not as a stranded asset, but as the backbone of an integrated autonomous vehicle network. This choice demanded courage: balancing public trust, regulatory uncertainty, operational risk, and fiscal stewardship while continuing to deliver daily service. Through sustained engagement with riders, neighborhoods, elected officials, and industry experts, the JTA aligned infrastructure investments, policy frameworks, and talent development with the real needs of a growing city. NAVI’s launch is the visible outcome of a broad ecosystem working in concert. Partnerships with the City of Jacksonville, the Florida Department of Transportation, the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, JAXUSA, Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ), and private-sector collaborators including Beep, HOLON, and the Vision 2 Reality team
At the JTA, we recognize the positive impact of autonomous vehicle technology—not only in enhancing mobility, but also in creating new economic opportunities for our city and region.
2 | ULTIMATE URBAN CIRCULATOR – A CASE STUDY
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