Site work and new construction of a mixed-use development in Jacksonville, Florida. Working plans call for the construction of a service station / car wash facility; transportation facility; for site work for a service station / car wash facility; and transportation facility.

https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2024/02/05/jta-awards-contract-to-hntb-for-redesign-of-skyway-in-jacksonville/72429323007/ A $6.5 million contract will begin design of converting Skyway structure in downtown ________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2024/02/20/jta-autonomous-beep-vehicles-debut-at-fscj.html Jacksonville Transit Authority rolled out its autonomous vehicles for service on Tuesday at Florida State College at Jacksonville. The project is a $322,000 pilot program at the college's downtown campus to provide service for students and observe people's interactions with the bus, which will be used to improve the Ultimate Urban Circulator being introduced in downtown Jacksonville. "We want to put this in passenger service," said Nat Ford, CEO of JTA. "We could look at some of the issues related to the charging of these vehicles and how long will they last with a charge." JTA claims the service is the first autonomous vehicle shuttle service on a college campus in Florida, however, University of Florida launched an autonomous shuttle in 2020. Students and passersby can ride one of the two vehicles on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from the classrooms, bookstore and Cafe Frisch on the east end of campus to the administrative buildings on the west end of campus. The autonomous vehicle drives through the parking lot and crosses Pearl Street at an intersection with no traffic lights open to through traffic. The autonomous vehicles are equipped with cameras, radar and lidar (light detection and ranging) to detect other vehicles and people and brake when needed. During a demonstration, the autonomous shuttle stopped and avoided striking a parked school bus in front of the college's administrative building. Beep manufactures the autonomous vehicles being used on the campus. But vehicles will be parked during inclement weather, and operators will wait until storms pass to return to service. "We do not drive these today in the typical sideways 4 p.m. rainstorm, to be candid," Beep CEO Joe Moye said. "But I will say with the advent of the radar technologies and the fusion of all of those sensors, they're becoming more and more human-like with their ability to deal with the elements." Moye said the autonomous vehicles are a "walk-before-you-run" type of technology and pointed to numerous constraints to prevent the vehicles from impeding emergency responders and causing other safety issues. "Unfortunately, there's been a number of circumstances with what I call any-to-any type autonomous vehicles, where you're basically replacing a driven car with an autonomous car, Robotaxi, as it's often referred," Moye said. "This is a very different business model. This is about shared mobility, working in controlled geo-fenced environments where you have a fixed route. So the vehicles know exactly where they're operating at any point in time, and they're able to navigate much more safely and predictably." A SWAN shuttle, which is also a Beep autonomous vehicle, collided with a Lynx bus in Orlando last year, which Moye said was because of human error. Each vehicle can seat five passengers and has a human operator that can manually intervene during any emergency. The pilot program is set to last five months and is the first of additional pilots JTA is planning to introduce, Ford said. "What we developed along with the Bay Street innovation corridor and U2C program is what we call agile plans, and agile plans help to inform the U2C program in terms of deploying these technologies, seeing what works, what doesn't work, and then engineering out those issues," Ford said. "But probably just as importantly exposure to the public, making sure that the public has the opportunity to get on these vehicles, to ride these vehicles." Ford said public acceptance is key to JTA's autonomous vehicle program. Fares for the pilot route of the autonomous vehicle at FSCJ's campus downtown will be free. Vin Doan, a second-year student at FSCJ, said he's seen prior test drives on campus. "The idea of public transportation has always been pretty interesting to me and having one for our own campus. I've just never seen this thing before for any college," Doan said. FSCJ President John Avendano said there are plans to expand use of the the autonomous vehicles to the north campus, downtown campus and south campus and eventually connect all three. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2024/02/01/jackonville-reviews-application-for-h2c-permit.html The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is one step closer to constructing the first phase of its Ultimate Urban Circulator project, which would use autonomous vehicles to transport people from downtown Jacksonville to EverBank Stadium with 12 stops along the route. JTA has submitted site plans for the Bay Street Innovation Corridor, which will have autonomous vehicles operating in curbside lanes along Bay Street as part of Phase 1 of the circulator project, commonly known as the U2C. The plans also include the operation and maintenance facility for the autonomous vehicles, which received approval from the Downtown Design Review Board last year. The Bay Street Innovation Corridor is a three-mile loop that will operate between Pearl Street and A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard. The corridor is the first phase of the four-phase Ultimate Urban Circulator program that will convert the Jacksonville Skyway into an autonomous vehicle network that will operate in downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. The project is slated to cost up to $49.04 million. Kiet Dinh, JTA's Vice President of Automation and Innovation, said city approval of the plans is the next step needed for construction to begin later this spring. "It's at a 90% engineering design level that's been submitted to the City of Jacksonville for their review, comment and subsequent approval and permitting, so that we could subsequently enter in the construction of this particular project later this spring," Dinh said. Once Phase 1 is completed, JTA will have built an automated transit service that includes 12 stops that stretches from Pearl Street to EverBank Stadium. But JTA aims to expand service of its autonomous vehicles far beyond Bay Street in phases 2 and 3. JTA leaders plan to convert the Skyway into an elevated roadway for autonomous vehicles and build a street level connection to the Bay Street Innovation Corridor during Phase 2. Phase 3 is set to expand autonomous vehicle routes into Brooklyn, Riverside, San Marco and Springfield. As the Phase 1 route starts service, JTA will assess what needs to be improved for the next two phases. JTA officials are looking at the reliability of the service, ridership and the demand for the new service, Dinh said. As each phase progresses, JTA plans to focus on what riders need each step of the way. "We want to make sure that we are attuned to our customer, to our community, and to make sure that the user experience is number one," Dinh said. "Safety is paramount, but then also making sure that it is a reliable and comfortable experience for them to use as a transit mobility option." _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2023/dec/14/gateway-jax-downtown-apartment-and-retail-project-wins-ddrb-final-approval/ Dec 14, 2023 JTA Autonomous Innovation Center The DDRB granted final design approval for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority Autonomous Innovation Center in LaVilla. The 1.11-acre site comprises the block bounded by Jefferson, Broad, Bay and Water streets. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority Autonomous Innovation Center in LaVilla. The JTA Autonomous Innovation Center will serve as the operations center for the Ultimate Urban Circulator, also known as U2C, which will use driverless vehicles to replace the Downtown Skyway monorail. The initial route will be a 3.2-mile stretch on Bay Street from JTA's Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center to the Jacksonville Jaguars football stadium. The vote was 8-0 with Davis abstaining because of remarks he made before joining DDRB that were detrimental to the project. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority Autonomous Innovation Center in LaVilla.The site is 1.11 acres and comprises the block between Jefferson, Broad, Bay and Water streets. _________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2023/10/18/jta-skyway-bids.html 2023/10/18 The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is looking to solicit bids for some $5.5 million worth of work related to the Skyway and its replacement, the Ultimate Urban Circulator, by the end of the year, JTA officials said last week. Projects include Skyway rehab and downtown service expansion, station improvements and additional Skyway repairs and refurbishments. "Scopes of work are in development, and we are hoping to have things ready to advertise sometime in this quarter," Chief Procurement Officer Heather Obora said, with responses due in January. The Bay Street Innovation Corridor, the first phase of the U2C project, is getting close to the end of the planning phase, with roadway design close to complete. It will involve shuttle service along Bay Street between Pearl Street and EverBank Stadium, which is around 3.5 miles. "This is not a concept anymore," said U2C Director Angie Williams. "This is the real deal with plans in play." The work is part of $60 million of total JTA spending expected in fiscal year 2024, which ends a year from now. The cost of the endeavor and the city's track record on mass transit has some city leaders worried the project will remain more pie-in-the-sky than reality, with the plug pulled only after spending dollars that can't be recovered. "My problem isn't with autonomous vehicles," City Councilman Jimmy Peluso said in September. "My concern is that we are putting a lot into highly unproven projects that kind of stand in contrast to what every other major municipality is doing and also where our peer cities and counties are doing. But improvements to the Skyway and new U2C infrastructure line items are sprinkled throughout the JTA's five-year capital improvement plan, with more than $60 million of total spending expected for FY 2024. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2023/10/12/jtas-autonomous-innovation-center-gets-conceptual.html 2023/10/12 The Downtown Development Review Board unanimously approved a Jacksonville Transportation Authority autonomous vehicle facility in LaVilla on conceptual review after postponing the vote in August. The new renderings for the Autonomous Innovation Center showed a more pedestrian friendly space with more trees. JTA says the open space along Bay Street could be programmed with rotating food or retail kiosks or trucks, according to city documents. The 1.1 acre property is bordered by North Jefferson, North Broad, West Bay and Water streets. It's across the street from the controversial mixed-use Daily's project that was approved in August with a 5-2 vote. Contractor Balfour Beatty's Dave Campbell said the modifications made after the August meeting were a 180-degree change, with larger pedestrian areas on West bay and North Jefferson streets, different landscaping and a new visual impact. The plan features a landscaped area underneath the Skyway track, and Campbell said discussions are ongoing with the LaVilla community about having a market or food truck area. "We are continuing to have discussions with what we can do with that area," Campbell said. In August, the DDRB deferred the project because the board said information was presented too soon prior to the meeting and the project lacked cohesion with the area. Before the vote Thursday, board members said they were pleased with the changes. Board Member Gary Monahan called the redesign a significant improvement and asked to continuing conversations with LaVilla residents. Board Member Linzee Ott said she was grateful JTA listened to the feedback from the August meeting and acting on it. "I'm glad to see where this project is in comparison to where it started," she said. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2023/oct/05/jtas-u2c-operations-maintenance-building-design-set-for-city-review-board/ Designs for an operations and maintenance facility for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's automated vehicle replacement for the Downtown Skyway monorail system, the Ultimate Urban Circulator, will be considered for conceptual review by the Downtown Development Review Board on Oct. 12. The proposed 40-foot-tall JTA Autonomous Innovation Center at LaVilla would replace a surface parking lot at Jefferson and Water streets. The project was originally heard by DDRB at its Aug. 10 meeting. The Skyway overview of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building. It is substantially revised and is being heard by the board as a new report, according to the DDRB staff report. The facility would function as the center for operations for the U2C program, the staff report says. The site is 1.11 acres and comprises the block between Jefferson, Broad, Bay and Water streets. The facility will have repair bays for the automated people movers expected to start operation in 2025 on the 3.2-mile Bay Street Innovation Corridor loop from JTA's Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center to the Jacksonville Jaguars football stadium. An application included in the board material lists Balfour Beatty LLC as the design-build principal of the project. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building looking east toward the Downtown skyline. In January 2022, JTA signed a $49 million contract with Balfour Beatty LLC -- Vision 2 Reality Team to complete the Bay Street Innovation Corridor phase of the U2C for 12 to 15 automated vehicles. The Balfour Beatty group is a consortium comprising Superior Construction Co. Southeast; Beep Inc.; WGI Inc.; Stantec Consulting Services Inc.; Miller Electric; Urban SDK; and Balfour Beatty. The application says JTA intends to start construction Dec. 1, 2023. It does not provide a completion date. Eventually, JTA plans to connect the innovation corridor to a 10-mile automated vehicle loop linking Downtown to Riverside, San Marco, Brooklyn and UF Health Jacksonville in Springfield. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room at the Main Library at 303 N. Laura St. The Water Street view of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building in LaVilla. The terrace view of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building in LaVilla. The Bay Street overview of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building is planned at Jefferson Street and Water Street in LaVilla. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building in LaVilla. A night view of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator building in LaVilla as seen from Water Street. __________________ https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2023/09/07/rocky-path-ahead-for-jta-s-u2c-project.html The path forward to making the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's Ultimate Urban Circulator -- usually referred-to as U2C -- appears increasingly rocky as leaders question the value of the costly project. Newly elected City Councilman Jimmy Peluso said he's always had a hard time grasping the concept of the U2C, what it can deliver and what it will cost to get there. "I think I'd be fine with it if it was a $20 million plan," Peluso told the Business Journal. Design of the first phase of the project is pegged at $5 million with construction at $45 million, according to a handout created by WGI, one of the companies working on U2C. The U2C is supposed to be integrated into the Skyway, which has around a $450 million replacement cost. "My problem isn't with autonomous vehicles," Peluso said. "My concern is that we are putting a lot into highly unproven projects that kind of stand in contrast to what every other major municipality is doing and also where our peer cities and counties are doing. "I just never properly understood why we got to this point, and I'm now more than ever concerned that it is, and I honestly believe that it will harm our ability as a city to get people to wrap their heads around mass transit." There's a feeling among urban transportation experts that the technology simply isn't there to do what JTA envisions for the project, which is supposed to take advantage of a fleet of autonomous vehicles that can navigate both the Skyway and surface roads on set routes. The plans have been in the works for around six years, with an intention of the first phase going into operation in 2025. The Bay Street Innovation Corridor, the first phase of the U2C, will involve shuttle service along Bay Street between Pearl Street and EverBank Stadium, which is around 3.5 miles. "Our vision for a safe, convenient, autonomous, electric and shared-mobility network for BSIC is on schedule at 60% design and is hitting every milestone we've laid out since the project was announced and approved by the JTA Board of Directors and the city of Jacksonville," according to a JTA statement. "The BSIC has consistently received bipartisan support and funding at the federal, state and local level. We remain committed to engaging and informing all members of this great community, including new members of the City Council and the public." Urban planner Ennis Davis and TransForm Jax co-founder Mike Field, both of whom are involved in Modern Cities, penned a column recently for Jax Today in which they say even the vehicles being tested now by the city aren't meant to do what the city wants them to do, and further, they're not an effective alternative for existing transportation. "In fact, none of the vehicles JTA is testing can carry as many people or move as quickly as light rail, streetcars or buses -- or even the existing, increasingly deteriorated Skyway cars," Davis and Field wrote. "Even in the best-case scenario, the U2C will carry only a fraction of people as the aging system it's intended to replace." The piece drew attention around the city. "I appreciate the JTA's efforts on the U2C, but Ennis & Mike are right: there are better ways we can utilize transportation $ in Jax," Matt Brockelman, chair of the Downtown Development Review Board, posted on X. "That autonomous vehicle tech isn't ready for prime time yet isn't JTA's fault, but pivoting too late to alt solutions would be." He congratulated JTA's leadership for pursuing innovating solutions and that the U2C might be there some day, but that day isn't today and the local option gas tax means too much to city budgeting for it to be used on what he called a "someday" project. "Hopefully the U2C issue gets another look from leaders at both JTA & City Hall," Brockelman wrote. "IMO, a perspective shift here would yield better outcomes for mass transit, downtown activation of JTA real estate, & stewardship of taxpayer dollars." ___________ The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (the "Authority" or the "JTA") hereby requests sealed Qualifications Proposal and Technical Proposal for P-23-011 Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) Phase 2 Skyway Conversion & Battery Electric Bus (BEB) Electrification. The project is to perform the Project Development & Environmental (PD&E) study and to develop 30% design plans for the conversion of the existing JTA Skyway Monorail superstructure into a Connected Automated Vehicle (CAV) corridor also design and deploy battery electric bus (BEB) on route charging technologies to serve the transit bus routes along the Skyway as further detail in the Scope of Work. Proposals will be received by the Authority until the above-stated submittal closing/opening dates and times on the JTA Bonfire Procurement Portal at https://jtafla.bonfirehub.com. The complete Solicitation package will be available Friday, February 24, 2023 and can be obtained by visiting https://jtafla.bonfirehub.com. A complete examination and understanding of the information contained in the Solicitation package is necessary in order for the Proposer to properly submit a Proposal. The Solicitation package also includes a detailed set of Instructions to Proposers. All Proposals shall be prepared in accordance with the Instructions to Proposers. The failure to comply with any requirement contained in the Solicitation may result in the rejection of the Proposal as non-responsive or a finding that the Proposer is not qualified. Proposals must be uploaded to the JTA Bonfire Procurement Portal by the date and time identified in this solicitation. We strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time and at least ONE (1) day before Closing Time to begin the uploading process and to finalize your submission. Late proposals will not be accepted and the JTA Bonfire Procurement Portal will not accept submissions past the date and time of closing/opening. Questions Due Date: Apr 14th 2023, 12:00 PM EDT