Florida’s Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) recently held its annual State of the Authority event, where CEO Nat Ford announced the Mobility Visioning Plan 2050 (MVP 2050), a 25-year conceptual vision for the future of mobility in Northeast Florida.

Ford’s address offered a look at highlights from 2025, with a focus on the future and the innovative ways the JTA is shaping mobility in Northeast Florida.

“Public transportation is critical to every community, and the JTA’s focus on innovation — serving today’s customers while building the mobility of the future — along with the economic development it drives, is what makes us a national leader and such an important partner for the Jacksonville region,” said JTA Board Chair Aundra Wallace.

MVP 2050

MVP 2050 will serve as a comprehensive roadmap for meeting tomorrow’s mobility needs, as Jacksonville’s population is expected to grow by approximately 20% to over 1.4 million people in 2050, according to the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.

More than 200 people attended, including industry experts from across the state and country, as well as local elected officials and community leaders.

The Mobility Visioning Plan 2050 will also include a series of public meetings to talk to residents and outline the plan to the community. This will include the next phases of the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C), traditional bus and transit services, and other ways to move people around our community.

“MVP 2050 is a forward-looking plan that integrates technology, resiliency, and smart growth — advancing everything from rail to autonomous vehicles, expanding pedestrian and bike safety, improving transit access, and ensuring every investment strengthens our neighborhoods and grows our economy,” said Nat Ford.

State of the Authority

The Mobility Visioning Plan 2050 is co-led by the JTA and the City of Jacksonville, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Transportation, the North Florida TPO, the JAX Chamber, Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA), JAXPORT, the Jacksonville Airport Authority, and over a dozen community partners and organizations.

K. Jane Williams, former Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) from August 2017 until January 2021, delivered the keynote address. As FTA Administrator, Williams managed some of the largest formula and competitive grant programs within the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), representing more than $80 billion in economic investment in transportation infrastructure nationwide. 

Williams shared how, under the leadership of CEO Nat Ford, the JTA became a “trusted partner” of the federal government and how the JTA “won multiple grants under almost every single FTA competitive program we had,” Williams said. 

“More than $100 million in investment he brought back from the federal government to the JTA and the City of Jacksonville,” she said. “Congratulations on the launch of your NAVI service. The U2C project is paving the way for the future of mobility in America,” said Williams.