Jacksonville Transportation Authority Seeking Public Feedback Until April 10

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is currently soliciting public feedback to determine the future of the city’s elevated Skyway system in downtown Jacksonville. CEO Nat Ford announced that the agency will continue accepting public opinions until April 10, 2026, as part of the current round of community input.

The JTA board is expected to make a final decision regarding the structure this summer after reviewing the submitted feedback and associated cost estimates. The process is part of a broader effort to evaluate the utility and viability of the 35-year-old automated monorail system.

Public Preferences and Proposed Alternatives

Initial public comments indicate that the most supported options are to either implement larger trains on the existing elevated structure or to convert the system into an above-ground path for bicycling and walking.

Beyond these top choices, the JTA is considering several other proposals for the infrastructure. These include:

• Rehabilitating the existing Skyway trains.
• Replacing the current trains with new models.
• Demolishing the elevated structure entirely.
• Continuing to operate the current system until it reaches a point of failure.
• Repurposing the tracks as landscaped walkways.

One specific alternative under review involves reconstructing the elevated structure to support rubber-tired autonomous transit shuttles. This plan would include the addition of ramps to connect the elevated structure to city streets.

Integration with the U2C System

The future of the Skyway is closely tied to the Ultimate Urban Circulator system, known as U2C. The U2C concept aims to create a connected transit network linking downtown Jacksonville to surrounding neighborhoods.

Currently, the U2C framework combines the overhead Skyway trains with autonomous vans operating on downtown streets. A previous proposal suggested upgrading the Skyway tracks to accommodate future vehicles and the current Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation (NAVI) vans, with specific ramps planned for Leila Street, Kings Avenue and the Rosa Parks station.

The JTA began operating the NAVI autonomous shuttles on a Bay Street loop in the summer of 2025. However, these shuttles have struggled to attract passengers. Another consideration for the U2C plan involves removing the overhead tracks entirely and operating NAVI and future vehicles exclusively on streets in Riverside, San Marco, and downtown.

Current Status and Next Steps

During an April 7, 2026, meeting with the Duval DOGE Committee of City Council, Nat Ford stated that the agency is taking a fresh, wide-open look at the options and noted that there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.

The JTA has previously held public meetings to present these alternatives via video, with sessions occurring in March 2026. The agency continues to emphasize the importance of public involvement to ensure transparency in the decision-making process regarding the rehabilitation or removal of the downtown transit infrastructure.

The final determination will be based on a synthesis of the public’s priorities and the financial feasibility of the various proposals as determined by cost estimates.