The U.S Department of Transportation awarded the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) a $1.72 million RAISE Grant in support of the Third Phase of the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) project.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the award as part of a $1 billion package to support transportation authorities across the nation.

“We are honored that the U.S. Department of Transportation and our local Congressional Delegation are once again supporting the innovation and vision of the U2C program with its continued investment through the RAISE program,” said Nathaniel P. Ford Sr., JTA CEO. “Thank you to U.S. Reps. Lawson and Rutherford, and U.S. Sens. Rubio and Scott for advocating on behalf of the JTA and the citizens of Jacksonville."

The RAISE grant program, which stands for Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, is the successor to the BUILD grant program.

“Jacksonville is truly the logistics hub of the Eastern Seaboard,” said U.S. Rep. John Rutherford. “Today’s federal award for the Ultimate Urban Circulator will help ease congestion in the city and get commuters where they need to be. I was proud to support this important project in Congress and thank JTA for their commitment to making Jacksonville a great city to live, work, and play.” 

Projects for RAISE funding are evaluated based on merit criteria that include safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, economic competitiveness, state of good repair, innovation, and partnership. Within these criteria, the U.S. Department of Transportation prioritizes projects that can demonstrate improvements to racial equity, reduce impacts of climate change and create good-paying jobs.

“I am proud to have fought to successfully secure more than $1.7 million in funding for JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator Neighborhood Extensions,” said U.S. Rep. Al Lawson. “The Department of Transportation grant will allow the city the opportunity to further modernize the area and provide residents with equitable access to connecting neighborhoods, employment opportunities and medical centers. This critical federal funding will enhance economic development and quality of life for residents and local businesses.”

In addition, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration awarded the JTA a $1 million Transit-Oriented Development Pilot Program Planning Grant Study, focused on the Ultimate Urban Circulator’s proposed 10-mile network in Downtown Jacksonville and the Urban Core.

The RAISE grant will help the JTA advance planning, environmental and preliminary project development activities positioning the JTA to pursue FTA Capital Improvement Grants (CIG) and/or other U.S. Department of Transportation competitive discretionary grant funding for design and construction of Phase III of the U2C project. The JTA is required to provide a 50% match to DOT funds.