Jacksonville's Driverless Transit Plan Is More Hype Than Hope

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) embarked on a mission to finally upgrade downtown's oft-maligned and long-suffering Skyway monorail system. JTA proposes the Ultimate Urban Circulator, or "U2C" to replace the Skyway's monorail train with autonomous vehicles—essentially small, driverless busses—that would travel the ramps and also run on city streets to provide access to adjacent neighborhoods. Local transit advocates are beginning to believe that the U2C is simply an elaborate PR stunt designed to make JTA look more "innovative" and "forward-thinking" than it really is.