JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tuesday was a momentous day for the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. JTA, in partnership with Goodyear, announced the agency will become the first public transit agency to test “airless tires.”
The big news was announced at JTA’s Armsdale Autonomous Vehicle Test & Learn Center. The tires are made from the company’s “proprietary blend,” JTA told News4Jax. Most airless tires on the market are made from solid rubber or plastic.
JTA says it’s the 1st public transit agency to test “airless tires” in the country. The tires are made of Goodyear’s proprietary blend. JTA will be testing the tires on their Ollie 2.0, a 15-seater autonomous vehicle that’s also still in testing. @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/IUo2F4vgxo
— Brittany Muller (@BrittMullerNews) July 13, 2021
JTA is testing the tires on its Ollie 2.0, one of their 15-seater autonomous vehicles, that is also still in testing.
“We’ve made significant progress in identifying JTA and Jacksonville as a hub in autonomous vehicle technology and development,” Nat Ford, Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), said.
JTA told News4Jax the vehicles and tires are tested daily while they determine if the new technology is safe.
The track where they test the vehicle and where they will test the tires are complete with connected crosswalks and all other typical road infrastructure.
These autonomous vehicles are expected to hit Bay Street in downtown within the next three years.
Today we officially welcome the @goodyear non-pneumatic tires to our Autonomous Vehicle fleet - the first to reach the urban transportation testing phase on the @localmotors Olli 2.0 @beepAVsolutions pic.twitter.com/Dc4MmrsNKJ
— Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) (@JTAFLA) July 13, 2021