A FULLY built U2C can reach beyond the existing
Skyway system in a cost-effective manner to
serve existing and planned developments of the
city of Jacksonville. This vision for the extensions
includes development of mobility corridors applying
complete streets concepts for enhanced mobility of
pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders.
FEBRUARY 2018 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 11
monorail-type vehicle operations.
“You had Miami, you had Detroit
and you had the JTA who were successful
in receiving those grants,”
said Ford. “We eventually built a
2.5-mile system and unfortunately
that system was never expanded,
for various reasons: political will
wasn’t there, the funding wasn’t
there, it literally got cut short from
its original design plan.”
In 2014 the JTA implemented
its Route Optimization Initiative,
a total system overhaul. “When we
did that overhaul of the fi xed-route
system, we integrated the Skyway
as part of the operation,” Ford said.
“Prior to that, it was almost like a
stand-alone operation. It was clearly
designed for mobility in downtown
from the parking garages to
the offi ce buildings, but again, it
did not reach its full potential.”
Th e Skyway ridership started
growing once it was an integrated
part of the system and they
began discussion on the future of
the Skyway. Th e vehicles were past
their useful life and it was getting
more and more diffi cult to maintain
them.
A Skyway advisory committee
was created to take an in-depth
look at the operation. In December
2015, the board approved a
resolution to keep, modernize
and expand the Skyway, based on
input from the skyway advisory
committee and the public.
Th e Skyway Modernization
Program was developed in 2016
and in February 2017, the board
approved the recommendations
and staff began work on the development
of the Ultimate Urban
Circulator Program: U2C.
Th e Skyway has antiquated
technology and a very costly aerial
structure. As it’s not at ground
level, people can’t hop on and off
in a downtown environment. Ford
said, “Th e gains that you have in
terms of being aerial and above
traffi c, you kind of lose from an
economic activity standpoint or
a downtown vitality standpoint.”
“I think the lightbulb went
off that our Skyway is already
an autonomous vehicle; it’s been
an autonomous vehicle for 30
years.” He continued, “Th e challenge
is, because it’s a monorail, it
can’t operate at street level. And
if there were a way to get it to
street level and operate autonomous
vehicles, we could easily
Bus Transfer Facility
• Covered bays for 21 buses
• ADA-accessible single continuous platform
• Enclosed passenger waiting area
• Ticket vending machines
• Operator lounge
• Public restrooms
• Lost and found area and customer service
expand the system and would
add the fl exibility to the future to
change routes … as communities
change or as cities and developments
change in downtown …”
JTA will pull out the monorail
beam, create a smooth roadway
surface, build ramps to take
it from an aerial structure down
to street level and operate in the
street in dedicated lanes, and
eventually in mixed traffi c as the
autonomous technology develops.
JTA opened a test track in December,
located on the access road
/MassTransitmag.com