JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) debuted its very first autonomous shuttle at FSCJ’s downtown campus on Tuesday.
JTA unveiled plans for a self-driving vehicle, the Ultimate Urban Circulator, on National Autonomous Vehicle Day back in May. The new shuttle is part of a greater initiative to redesign and modernize the existing Jacksonville Skyway by repurposing the current infrastructure.
The autonomous shuttle will run through the Advanced Technology Center, President’s office, and cafeteria, providing a new mobility service for students, faculty, and visitors to the downtown campus.
Dr. John Avendano, FSCJ’s president celebrated the deployment alongside side JTA CEO Nat Ford and Joe Moye, CEO of BEEP, the shuttle supplier.
“It is the future, and it is here,” Avendano said. “Think about how cool it is to have a self-driving vehicle transporting students back and forth to different areas across our campus.”
News4JAX had a chance to ride the shuttle and since it was a pilot launch, there was an operator. The BEEP vehicle has three types of sensors: high-definition cameras, radar, and lidar to identify what’s happening around the entire vehicle.
Kiet Dihn, JTA’s vice president of automation and innovation said the vehicle can identify where a stop sign is.
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The vehicle came across a speed bump and the sensors communicated with the vehicle to slow down. Students can start using the shuttle today and behind the scenes, students are learning about this technology.
That will help FSCJ students prepare for real-world jobs in the autonomous industry. There’s still hesitation from the public about how safe AV transportation is, but Moye said they have already launched in nine states and 36 different locations. JTA is looking ahead with optimism.
“In addition to being some of the first to ride autonomous vehicles in Jacksonville, FSCJ students, faculty, and campus guests will have an opportunity to provide us with direct feedback as we prepare to launch the Bay Street Innovation Corridor in 2025,” Ford said. “FSCJ continues to be a vital partner as we advance and socialize autonomous vehicle technology in Jacksonville, both for Bay Street and beyond.”
That project will use autonomous vehicles on Bay Street by next year and could break ground in the next 60 days. Jacksonville is taking a step toward the future by becoming a part of it.
News4JAX news partner the Jacksonville Daily Record also reported that the the vehicles will not be able to operate in the rain or fog because those conditions affect the sensing technology.