Press Releases
Chao Delivers $25M Check for City's Innovation Projects
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 8, 2019) – Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) Chairman Kevin Holzendorf and CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., along with Mayor Lenny Curry and city leaders, today joined with Secretary Elaine L. Chao in formally announcing the awarding of the Department of Transportation’s $25 million BUILD Grant to JTA and the City of Jacksonville.
“In partnership with the state of Florida, City of Jacksonville, and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, this grant will pave the way for two important projects to revitalize transportation and commerce in the heart of the city,” Secretary Chao said.
(L-R) Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaina Chao, JTA CEO Nat Ford, U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, JTA Chairman Kevin Holzendorf, Jacksonville City Council President Aaron Bowman and U.S. Rep. John Rutherford celebrate Jacksonville's $25 million BUILD grant.
JTA will use its $12.5 million portion of the grant to implement the first phase of the Ultimate Urban Circulator or U2C program, called the Bay Street Innovation Corridor. This project will deploy a transportation network of autonomous vehicles and incorporate smart technologies such as pedestrian sensors, dynamic traffic signaling and an integrated data exchange; from the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla, to the City’s Entertainment District along the Bay Street Corridor.
“We want to thank Secretary Chao and the Department of Transportation for this BUILD Grant, and for her recognition of the important role the Bay Street Innovation Corridor project will play in the development of the region's transportation network,” said JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. “This cutting-edge project, combined with the City of Jacksonville’s Bay Street Revitalization project, will lead to improved mobility and greater economic development.”
JTA is partnering with the Florida Department of Transportation, the City of Jacksonville, North Florida TPO, the JEA and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce on the Innovation Corridor project.
For its part, the City will undertake the Urban Core Riverfront Revitalization and Complete Streets project to bolster the City’s commitment to downtown development in and around the Jacksonville Sports and Entertainment Complex and Shipyards.