“We should all recognize that autonomous vehicles are not just futuristic concepts, but a tangible solution for the evolving needs for public transportation,” said Aundra Wallace, vice chair of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) Board of Directors, during the opening April 17 of the Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC). “The flexibility to adapt routes, respond dynamically to ridership, and foster economic development are compelling advantages we must embrace.”
The AIC will serve as a nerve or operations center for JTA’s emerging autonomous transit program, which shortly will place Ford electric transit (e-transit) vehicles, equipped with autonomous technology, on what’s known as the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, a 3.5-mile route in downtown Jacksonville. The autonomous service has been branded Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (NAVI) and is part of the the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) project — which is itself a reimagining of a 1980s-era elevated monorail in downtown, often referred to as the skyway.
“This is an opportunity that won’t retire a skyway, but that will allow us to have a catalyst for sky-high opportunity,” Rahman Johnson, a Jacksonville City Council member, said at the opening of the AIC, a 18,798-square-foot facility that includes maintenance bays, charging stations and a rooftop solar farm.
Industry partners include Beep, which provides an artificial intelligence software platform for autonomous vehicles (AVs). HOLON, a maker of AV shuttles based in Germany, has located its U.S. manufacturing operations in Jacksonville, representing a $100 million investment that will generate 763 direct and indirect jobs and a nearly $300 million economic impact, Mayor Donna Deegan said.
“We stand at the intersection of public transit, autonomous vehicles and AI, and the technology that will power our future. And we do so as a national leader in this space,” Deegan told the crowd gathered at the innovation center. “It’s no secret that the Ultimate Urban Circulator has attracted national and international attention.”
The NAVI program will initially launch 14 AVs, the Ford e-transit vehicles, likely in June. These can each accommodate up to nine passengers. Initially, an attendant will be on board each vehicle to answer questions and ensure a safe operation, but will soon be phased out. The JTA has approved the purchase of up to 100 vehicles, officials said. It has also authorized the purchase of HOLON autonomous shuttles.
“This is the first public launch of autonomous vehicles in a passenger service at this scale, anywhere in the country,” said Joe Moye, CEO for Beep, at the opening.
The initiative to introduce AVs into the public transit fleet in Jacksonville has been a yearslong project, and one that can serve as a leadership template for other transit agencies, officials said.
“NAVI reminds us that the future is not something we wait for,” said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., CEO of JTA. “It’s something that we build together.”
