Is U2C serious? Help me make it make sense....

[thelakelander]

Did the cost of this thing go up again?

City permits JTA, Balfour Beatty $40 million U2C center
August 12, 2024 | Jacksonville Daily Record
Section: Mathis Report

The city issued a permit Aug. 9 for Balfour Beatty Construction LLC for construction on the almost $40.54 million Bay Street Innovation Corridor at 650 W. Bay St. in LaVilla.

As part of the project, the city's permit is for a two-story, 15,019-square-foot structure is designed on 1.28 acres on a site near Broad and Water streets in LaVilla as the nerve center for the JTA's Ultimate Urban Circulator system of automated people movers.

It is referred to as the U2C.

JTA held a ceremonial groundbreaking May 29 for the center.

Plans show a ground floor with covered AV parking and flex bay and a lift bay.

The top floor comprises the control and data rooms, offices, a conference room and an exterior terrace.

The center will include a rooftop solar microgrid that will supply power to recharge the shuttles, an education center for conversations about automated vehicle technology and electric vehicle charging stations that will be available to the public.

The U2C is envisioned as a network of autonomous shuttles that will initially operate on a 3-mile route on and near Bay Street Downtown and expand to connect to Riverside, Springfield and San Marco.

The cost of the Bay Street phase, expected online next year, is $66.5 million.

Two successive phases will involve adapting the Skyway elevated monorail into the U2C and expanding the system, pushing the estimated cost to as much as $400 million for a full build-out.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/aug/12/city-permits-jta-balfour-beatty-40-million-u2c-center/

[tufsu1]

but there's a building crane in the downtown core now!

[CityLife]

If you're going to spend $2.6k per square foot on construction at least build something mildly architecturally attractive. I'm sure the tech/control room skewed the cost per square foot up, but still. Come on.

[jaxoNOLE]

The center will include a rooftop solar microgrid that will supply power to recharge the shuttles, an education center for conversations about automated vehicle technology and electric vehicle charging stations that will be available to the public.

Much like traditional transit hubs of old, that included centers dedicated to educating the public about why buses are awesome, and non-transit users could stop by to fill up their cars at the public gas pumps.

/s

[Jax_Developer]

If you're going to spend $2.6k per square foot on construction at least build something mildly architecturally attractive. I'm sure the tech/control room skewed the cost per square foot up, but still. Come on.

Thanks for pointing this out. Add this to the eventual lawsuit when someone figures this all out. Charging & EV battery technology is absolutely no where near this cost. I am intimate with the people that develop & sell this technology. It's really not much different than a normal charging station, built by Tesla for 1/100th of the cost. Just another example of the U2C's gross spending. This project is easily in the 9-figure territory already when you also factor all the lost time with salaries/overhead etc. spent on this BS.

Here is a good article that breaks it down.

https://appinventiv.com/blog/cost-to-build-ev-fast-charging-system-like-tesla-supercharger/

[Captain Zissou]

I am intimate with the people that develop & sell this technology.

That's a bit of an overshare, but ok.

[Jax_Developer]

I am intimate with the people that develop & sell this technology.

That's a bit of an overshare, but ok.

Ok, troll. Lol.

[CityLife]

I am intimate with the people that develop & sell this technology.

That's a bit of an overshare, but ok.

Ok, troll. Lol.

It was a good one. Almost like back in CZ's glory days when Music Man was around. I chuckled out loud in a meeting and couldn't wipe the smirk off my face when people wondered what was going on.

[jaxoNOLE]

Meanwhile, a company who is already billions deep into AVs can't figure out how to park them without being disruptive.

https://abc7news.com/post/waymo-cars-honk-each-other-night-disturbing-san-francisco-neighbors/15179709/

[Jax_Developer]

I am intimate with the people that develop & sell this technology.

That's a bit of an overshare, but ok.

Ok, troll. Lol.

It was a good one. Almost like back in CZ's glory days when Music Man was around. I chuckled out loud in a meeting and couldn't wipe the smirk off my face when people wondered what was going on.

Pretty sure CZ get's a little excited whenever I post. He's been quick to respond & says absolutely useless stuff. His generation needs to take a seat, they already screwed up DT enough. Like when he responded to the stadium thread:

So you're saying we shouldn't spend hundreds of millions to move the jail out of downtown?  I thought that was the main thing killing the vibrancy.  Now it's parking lots?

He quite literally doesn't understand how this all goes together but he's trying!!

[Captain Zissou]

He quite literally doesn't understand how this all goes together but he's trying!!

You're making some serious assumptions about who I am, my age, and what I believe.  I'm sure I'm not the only one here having a big laugh about how misguided they are. 

[Jax_Developer]

He quite literally doesn't understand how this all goes together but he's trying!!

You're making some serious assumptions about who I am, my age, and what I believe.  I'm sure I'm not the only one here having a big laugh about how misguided they are.

I couldn't care less about who you are or what you think. You're the one replying to me all the time. 

[Charles Hunter]

AVs have come to Riverside Avenue in Brooklyn

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Riders in Jacksonville's Brooklyn area have a new travel option when making a lunch stop.

The Jacksonville Transit Authority launched an autonomous vehicle route on Aug. 27 along Riverside Avenue.

The Brooklyn AV Circulator will operate along Riverside Avenue from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

JTA said an onboard JTA attendant will be on the shuttle.

The pilot program is scheduled to run through Oct. 25. The program includes the EV Star multi-utility zero-emissions vehicle, which features 14 seats and two wheelchair locking points according to JTA.

While not the same vehicle planned for the Summer 2025 launch, JTA said this test offers the community an opportunity to experience and become familiar with AV technology.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2024/08/27/jta-launches-new-shuttle-option-to-14-restaurants-along-riverside-avenue/

This may be a good test to see if two of the travel lanes of the 6-lane section of Riverside Avenue are really necessary.

[marcuscnelson]

Three hours a day on weekdays only in the city's fastest growing neighborhood... wow, innovation.

In other news, 15-minute peak frequencies finally returned to the First Coast Flyer on the Green and Blue lines. A long time coming.

https://www.jtafla.com/media-center/service-alerts/august-26th-service-enhancements/

It looks like they're launching some sort of new marketing campaign too, JTA Moves:

https://www.jtafla.com/jta-moves/

[Ken_FSU]

AVs have come to Riverside Avenue in Brooklyn

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Riders in Jacksonville's Brooklyn area have a new travel option when making a lunch stop.

The Jacksonville Transit Authority launched an autonomous vehicle route on Aug. 27 along Riverside Avenue.

The Brooklyn AV Circulator will operate along Riverside Avenue from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

JTA said an onboard JTA attendant will be on the shuttle.

The pilot program is scheduled to run through Oct. 25. The program includes the EV Star multi-utility zero-emissions vehicle, which features 14 seats and two wheelchair locking points according to JTA.

While not the same vehicle planned for the Summer 2025 launch, JTA said this test offers the community an opportunity to experience and become familiar with AV technology.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2024/08/27/jta-launches-new-shuttle-option-to-14-restaurants-along-riverside-avenue/

This may be a good test to see if two of the travel lanes of the 6-lane section of Riverside Avenue are really necessary.

I am so confused as to who the end user is for a manned autonomous roboshuttle driving in circles for three hours a day around a very walkable 6-block loop of Brooklyn.

In other news, 15-minute peak frequencies finally returned to the First Coast Flyer on the Green and Blue lines. A long time coming.

The grant money is safe/won't be clawed back. #Victories