JTA to hold community meetings on future of Skyway and U2C (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Daily Record) — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority has started a series of community meetings on the future of the Skyway monorail and the autonomous Ultimate Urban Circulator.
The eight meetings will focus on the planned conversion of the Skyway for the U2C into an elevated roadway for electric vehicles with ramps connecting to surface streets.
“These meetings are an important opportunity for residents, businesses, and stakeholders to be part of the Skyway’s future,” Senior Vice President Greer Johnson Gillis said in a statement.
“Community feedback will play a key role as we evaluate options to enhance connectivity, improve system reliability, and address evolving mobility needs in Downtown Jacksonville.”
The community meetings will offer visitors a chance to look at the U2C Phase II Project Development and Environment Study, review project alternatives and provide input. Additional meetings planned for May will focus on alternatives analysis and project recommendations.
The U2C debuted in 2025 as the Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation system with vehicles operating along a 2.5-mile stretch Downtown, mostly along Bay Street. Phase II would connect the Skyway, a 27-year-old structure, to ground-level streets.
Phase II is expected to cost $246.84 million in local option gas tax funds.
The Skyway runs from State Street Downtown to the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center in LaVilla. It also crosses the St. Johns River to the Downtown Southbank.
The last meetings will be held on:
March 24: FSCJ Advanced Technology Center, Room T140, 401 W. State St., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.
March 26: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront at 1201 Riverplace Blvd., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.
Photo courtesy of JTA