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

[Jax_Developer]

^ I have talked with some elected officials and even some past JTA board members, over time.  I am shocked how little they really know about JTA's agenda and performance, including the shortcomings of the Skyway and U2C.  So many "trust" the JTA CEO of the day and their staff, as "transportation professionals," and lack the time, curiosity, backbone, knowledge, etc. to challenge them and their presentations.  As such, the JTA team (and the other City authority staffs, for the most part, witness the JEA scandal) get free passes.

Jaxson posters would likely need to organize a full fledged lobbying and publicity machine to have a chance of changing the dialogue.  Unfortunately, while inspiring, posting on the Jaxson alone isn't enough.

That's exactly the issue & IMO isn't an excuse for any elected official. I can understand not being aware or 'knowing' everything about a city. However, you have an obligation to the taxpayer with a project of this magnitude. It's why we have dollar limits for unilateral actions for every city body, or entity, without some other required approval. At some point, there becomes enough 0's where not paying attention is a disservice.

However, in this particular situation... many are aware or at the very least could easily be made aware of, and they just don't wish for the baggage associated with it. Moreover, it's fairly common knowledge that Ford & Donna were in the London, in 2023, discussing the details of the U2C & had meetings with vendors. So, at the very least, our mayor, has been a knowledgeable party to the U2C... from almost Day 1 in office.

https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2023/oct/25/what-jacksonville-mayor-donna-deegan-did-on-her-london-trip/

She has attended ribbon cutting ceremonies with other councilmembers & has personally championed the project.

https://ridebeep.com/press-releases/jta-opens-aic
https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2025/jun/27/jtas-driverless-navi-van-service-starts-downtown-on-june-30/

Just saying, this is political & it is pretty hard to prove otherwise. The same web of people telling themselves this is a good idea, surely it is. Still, this will doom her reelection. The opposition will have a field day with this one.

[thelakelander]

JTA autonomous vehicle program among latest targets of Duval DOGE scrutiny

Jacksonville committee scrutinizes city programs for waste, calls for cuts to autonomous vehicle service

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville's DOGE Committee met Tuesday to review three city programs as part of its ongoing effort to identify potential waste, inefficiency or abuse in local government.

City Councilmember Rory Diamond is calling for an end to one of them: the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's autonomous vehicle initiative, known as the Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Transit Service, or NAVI program.

"They want to spend over $400 million on this autonomous vehicle program now," Diamond said during Tuesday's meeting. "And I want to know: What is the budget? When will it come up? Is the technology tried and tested? Candidly, I think it's a boondoggle and I want to end the whole thing."

https://www.news4jax.com/news/politics/2025/10/21/autonomous-vehicles-jfrd-program-for-those-who-are-unhoused-among-latest-targets-of-duval-doge-scrutiny/

[Charles Hunter]

Is this a sign of the End Times? I find myself agreeing with Rory Diamond on something! (And MJT on the Congressional shut-down and continuation of ACA subsidies)

However, councilmembers noted that the shuttles are currently averaging just 11 riders per hour, raising concerns about their cost-effectiveness. DOGE Committee members submitted a list of questions to JTA regarding the program's future, and expect responses within two weeks.

Is the (pitiful) 11 riders per hour before or after JTA started charging almost two dollars per ride?

[fsu813]

Before.

[jaxoNOLE]

If DOGE is going to take on the U2C, I sincerely hope Deegan lets them proceed unimpeded -- or better yet, endorses them. She's done such good work outside of this project, and having the republicans on council serve up an opportunity to cancel this wasteful boondoggle on a bipartisan basis would be a slam-dunk easy win for her.

[Charles Hunter]

On ActionNews tonight.

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority and German autonomous vehicle manufacturer Holon signed two agreements on Monday establishing a new autonomous vehicle manufacturing facility to be built in Jacksonville.

One was the lease agreement for the manufacturing facility, and the other was for Holon's administrative office inside the JTA's building.

https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/jta-holon-sign-leasing-agreements-new-autonomous-vehicle-manufacturing-facility-jacksonville/V5FUCVKINRGPRGFIUJGMCUY2VU/

Wait, what? Holon signed a lease agreement with JTA for the manufacturing facility? I hope this is just poor writing on the part of Action News. Since the space in the JTA HQ is obviously with JTA, it sounds like Holon is leasing the manufacturing facility from JTA as well. If Holon is leasing from a developer/builder (that is not JTA) it is not clear from this article.

[Jax_Developer]

^ The Benteler group did a press release: (https://www.benteler.com/en/press-media/latest-news/holon-seals-partnership-for-new-production-facility-in-jacksonville-milestone-for-urban-mobility-and-local-economy/)

They signed a JTA office lease & a to be built warehouse lease with Inlight.

So to summarize:

• Holon receives incentives for "an autonomous vehicle company to build a manufacturing and assembly plant in the city" in "Northwest Jacksonville" to be completed by "late 2025" which was later changed to 2026
• Holon later releases that they are "building" a manufacturing facility off of Zoo Parkway with the Westlake group - which has had zero progress since late 2024
• JTA releases their Ford Vans mid-2025, maintaining the 2026 date for the HOLON shuttles
• Zero progress from HOLON since late 2024, with them now signing a lease for a to be constructed space in late 2025 (the original start date)
• HOLON now claims that the ground breaking ceremony wont be for another 6-months & the first commissioning of a shuttle won't occur until 2027

This is about as bad as it gets with the government. Almost a decade behind! Oh & they are leasing space. The incentives given were not for "a lease" & it really shows Benteler's confidence on the whole situation LOL.

[Ken_FSU]

Daily occurrence coming off the Hart Bridge. People exiting a major artery at high speeds,
encountering these moronic, empty robovans that are either parked in a travel lane or moving like 10 mph, driver's hands always on the wheel I might add, and having to swerve around them. Someone is gonna get killed. Not only is the Bay Street U2C Corridor not being used by anyone, but it's actively making traffic worse and more dangerous. Great job, JTA. 

[Charles Hunter]

From today's Business Journal

As Jacksonville positions itself at the center of the autonomous vehicle industry, Holon's leadership is spotlighting growing demand from major players — including ride-share giant Lyft — for its soon-to-be Jacksonville-built self-driving shuttles, drawn by the company's ability to manufacture at scale and reduce costs.
...
Most AV companies retrofit existing cars with sensors, computers and autonomous driving systems in small batches, adding up costs and preventing scale, according to a recent Lyft announcement.

"The BENTELER Group's deep automotive manufacturing expertise and network solve for this piece of the value chain by integrating AV technologies into existing platforms at scale and with automotive-grade quality, streamlining complexities and lowering costs," the Lyft statement read.

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2025/10/29/holon-cfo-lays-out-growing-demand-strategy.html?ana=e_JA_me&j=42256342&senddate=2025-10-30&empos=p4
Apologies if there's a paywall

So, why don't we just let Holon modify the interior of their pods from 15-passenger transit to six or fewer passenger personal AVs, and get JTA out of the R&D business?

[jaxlongtimer]

^ Better yet, why don't we let Lyft, Uber and/or Waymo take over the autonomous vehicle transit role here.  It isn't really mass transit so why should JTA even care about this.  They certainly won't be more cost efficient, just look at U2C, so far.

[Lostwave]

I have to deal with this every day.  The stupid clown car is sitting there right before the entrance to Lot J... which is where I need to turn into.  So I have to go around him and cut a right in front of him from the left lane.  3 times he has started going right as I am cutting him off nearly hitting me.  (with his hands on the wheel because these aren't driving themselves).  Traffic is way worse than it ever was and it seems like there is nearly always one sitting there.

[Lostwave]

On a brighter note.  I did see people using it yesterday.  First time ever.



There were people trick or treating Navi yesterday.

[CityLife]

In an effort to boost NAVI's ridership numbers, JTA will also be handing out $50 Publix gift cards for every rider that is losing their SNAP benefits starting November 1st. Then in mid to late November, look out for Fetanyl Friday's. Big things happening!

[thelakelander]

[Ken_FSU]

Just so we're clear, parking two-deep in a travel lane with your emergency flashers on for ten minutes is a feature, not a bug.