TRANSPORTATION

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority will receive $1.7 million in federal grant money to replace and expand the Skyway.

Dozens of potential drivers were out on a test track Saturday on Gaines Road in St. Augustine, getting a hands-on experience of what it is like to drive a school bus.

“Severe” or “desperate” that’s how more than half of the country’s school districts describe their bus driver shortage.

A new page outlining reported school bus delays was added to the Duval County Public Schools website on Wednesday following a litany of issues with the district’s transportation on its first day of classes.

Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nat Ford explains the future of transportation projects in our city now that the gas tax bill has been approved. He said we could start seeing improvements as early as this summer.

“We know that transportation is an issue, but even more so with COVID-19,” said Rina Shah, group vice president of pharmacy operations at Walgreens. “Through these community partnerships, we’re able to get the word out that not only is it important to get the vaccine (but) when you do schedule appointments, here’s your code for a free ride.”

Limited transportation has long been a hurdle to employment, hindering growth at some companies and preventing people who need work from accessing available jobs. As the rise of e-commerce spurs job growth in industrial areas that are often not close to public transportation, employers hope addressing transit needs attracts a wider pool of candidates and helps workers arrive on time.

Customers have been giving the agency feedback about which routes need more service as the city has begun reopening after the lockdown. Additional “plug” buses will continue to add frequency to routes as needed throughout the day as demand for ridership begins to grow, JTA said. As a precaution, all JTA employees are required to wear face coverings while on the job, at a JTA facility or construction site, or while driving a revenue vehicle. While not required, JTA strongly encourages customers to wear at least a cloth covering while on board. Social distancing, enhanced cleaning activities and other measures remain in place at the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla, and at all JTA transportation hubs.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Jacksonville Transportation Authority and Florida State College at Jacksonville have agreed to expand JTAs autonomous vehicle program with testing and educational initiatives on FSCJ campuses. Through four initial phases, the U2C will leverage the existing Skyway infrastructure and expand that network through ground-level connections and convert those structures to support autonomous vehicles. The first phase, the Bay Street Innovation Corridor is fully funded. Our community is leading the way to the future of autonomous vehicles, said FSCJ President Dr. John Avendano. Through this MOU, JTA and FSCJ will develop an Agile Plan for on-campus use.