Florida’s Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is one step closer to introducing autonomous vehicles in Northeast Florida with the ribbon cutting of its Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC) and unveiling of the autonomous vehicle (AV) service name, NAVI.

NAVI, which stands for Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation, will operate from the AIC, which serves as the command center facility to store, service, monitor, and maintain Jacksonville’s autonomous mobility fleet and is set to launch this summer with NAVI servicing the first phase of the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C).

Ribbon Cutting for NAVI

Guests at the ribbon cutting got an up-close look at the AV, which features an outline of the Jacksonville skyline, representing how this new service will connect the urban core with surrounding neighborhoods to play a vital role in downtown revitalization. 

The 3.5-mile route connects key parts of Downtown Jacksonville, from the Central Business Core to the Sports & Entertainment District, integrating autonomous vehicles into the mix.

Speakers for the ribbon cutting included: Mayor Donna Deegan, City Council Member Rahman Johnson, Aundra Wallace (Vice Chair - JTA Board of Directors), Nat Ford (CEO, JTA), Joe Moye (Board of Directors Vice Chairman, Beep), and Dave Campbell (Director, Balfour Beatty).

 “The JTA’s AV program will be the first-of-its-kind, fully autonomous public transportation system network in the United States,” said JTA CEO Nat Ford. “The opening of the AIC is one of the final milestones before introducing NAVI to our transportation system. This state-of-the-art facility lays a strong foundation for the operation of the AV fleet and supports the vision of a better-connected, vibrant Downtown Jacksonville.”

Revolutionizing the Future

In addition to the AIC’s cutting-edge infrastructure, including maintenance bays, charging stations, and an elevated observation deck — it is equipped with a full-scale command center, featuring a massive display that brings the unified Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC) service interface to life. 

From live monitoring of national operations to simulations that demonstrate the system’s reliability, scalability, and real-time responsiveness, the AIC showcases what it takes to manage a modern autonomous transit system.

The two-story 18,798-square-foot facility features maintenance bays for vehicle service, covered AV parking with charging stations, as well as an open terrace with a viewing area overlooking vehicles arriving and departing the facility. 

The facility will also ultimately contain 129 rooftop solar panels with 100% of the electrical power demand for the building offset with its microgrid.

It was built by the Balfour Beatty Vision 2 Reality (V2R) team, alongside project partners Beep, Superior Construction Company Southeast, WGI Inc., Urban SDK, Miller Electric, and Grayline.