JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is asking residents for input as it moves into phase 2 of the Skyway Rehabilitation and Downtown Service Expansion Project, known as U2C.
JTA officials will host eight public meetings over the next five weeks to gather feedback on five proposed options for modernizing the downtown Skyway system, agency officials said.
The options were displayed during a video presentation at the first meeting, range from incremental upgrades to more extensive changes intended to make the Skyway more rideable and efficient.
- Option 1: Repair and retrofit existing cars
- Option 2: Replace cars with new, modern trains
- Option 3: Convert the skyway into a dedicated roadway for autonomous vehicles
- Option 4: Demolish the skyway and put autonomous vehicles on the street
- Option 5: Turn the skyway into a walkable trail
“We want to know what the community is saying about these options, which ones they like the most and, together with the community, identify that preferred alternative,” Taniel Koushakjian said, director of communications for JTA.
Watch the video below to see the options.
Developers and residents at the meeting offered differing views. Alex Sifakis, president of JWB Real Estate Capital and a developer on the Pearl Square Jax project, said he favored option one, calling it the quickest, cost-effective choice.
“We think that urban mobility is extremely important to urban development,” Sifakis said. “I think option one is the clear winner because it provides the transportation that we need in downtown quickly, and at a reasonable cost.”
Karen Lewis-Hannah, who said she works to introduce sign language and deaf training across Jacksonville, said she relies on the Skyway and supports improvements that increase accessibility. She said option four appealed to her because of its proposed amenities and boarding design — changes she said would benefit people with disabilities.
“I’m the sign language lady of Jacksonville ... I love it. All the time,” Lewis-Hannah said of the Skyway.
She said that number four stood out to her.
“It had things like the amenities, how it’s going to work, how they’re going to get on, how to get on, I love that,” she said.
JTA officials said phase 3 of the project is expected to begin after August, following completion of the phase 2 study.
Click here for the online survey to give your opinion on the five options.
Public meeting schedule
- Feb. 25 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center, Board Room 341, 100 LaVilla Center Drive; 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Jacksonville Marriott Downtown, Duval Ballroom, 245 Water St.
- March 5 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5 p.m.-7 p.m., Conference Center at the Main Library, 303 N. Laura St. (enter on Main St.)
- March 24 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5 p.m.-7 p.m., FSCJ Advanced Technology Center, Room T140, 401 W. State St.
- March 26 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 5 p.m.-7 p.m., DoubleTree Jacksonville Riverfront, 1201 Riverplace Blvd.
These open houses are the first round of public engagement for the PD&E Study; additional meetings in May 2026 will present alternatives analysis and recommendations.
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability or family status. People who need special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or free translation services should contact Tsopie Trottie at 904-630-3107 at least seven days before the meeting.
JTA said some of these options would trigger a federal repayment of around $100 million to the federal government.