Jacksonville Transportation Authority Awards Balfour Beatty, Beep and V2R Team Country's Largest-Ever Public Sector Autonomous Shuttle Project

"As the first phase of the U²C program, The Bay Street Innovation Corridor lays the foundation for the U²C vision by introducing autonomous vehicles and enhanced technology to Downtown Jacksonville's premier mobility corridor. We are proud to collaborate with the Balfour Beatty V2R Team and its consortium of world-class and leading firms like Beep. Their expertise and innovation will help the JTA deliver the nation's foremost public transportation network powered by sustainable, electric autonomous vehicles. By leveraging, modernizing and expanding our existing Skyway APM system, and enhancing street level infrastructure, the U²C sets the bar for the rest of the nation." – JTA CEO Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. 

"We are honored that the Jacksonville Transportation Authority has placed its trust in Beep and the V2R Team to deliver the nation's largest-ever autonomous shuttle project to enhance mobility-for-all in the downtown area. Phase I of the U²C builds upon our successful partnership to safely test autonomous vehicles and build passenger and community trust in these transformative transportation solutions. We look forward to leveraging our experience as part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's AV test program to positively impact safety and sustainability with this strategic program. JTA's U²C project will transform the City of Jacksonville and provide its residents with enhanced mobility options intended to activate the community and make transportation safer." – Joe Moye, CEO, Beep

"Reimagining and redeveloping the Bay Street Innovation Corridor is an opportunity of a lifetime. The U²C project will serve as the framework for many communities to follow. We are excited at the opportunity to partner with JTA to bring this vision to reality and establish the country's first autonomous transportation network in the country." – Dave Campbell, Project Executive, Balfour Beatty

The Bay Street Innovation Corridor is an approximately 3-mile, at-grade autonomous vehicle transportation solution that will run along East Bay Street in Downtown Jacksonville, from Hogan Street to the city's Sports & Entertainment District, which includes TIAA Bank Field, 121 Financial Field and the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. The project is supported by a $12.5 million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, funding from the Florida Department of Transportation, North Florida Transportation Planning Organization, and local funds. Phase II of the U²C program includes a full conversion of the JTA's elevated Skyway APM system. Phase III will expand street level extensions into neighboring communities to connect Downtown Jacksonville to nearby neighborhoods.

The Belfour Beatty V2R team comprises Beep, Superior Construction Southeast, WGI Inc., Stantec Consulting Services, and Miller Electric.

Beep's partnership with the JTA began as the Authority launched its AV Test & Learn Program at its Armsdale Test & Learn Center. Since 2017, the JTA's Automation & Innovation Division has tested seven AVs and four AV platforms, and engaged with community partners, local schools, first responders, and disability advocates to ensure the U2C is safe, sustainable and accessible to all.

From April to June 2020, the JTA and Beep deployed a fleet of autonomous vehicles operating in Level 4 autonomy to support the Mayo Clinic's COVID-19 testing efforts at its Jacksonville Campus. Over the four-month period, AVs safely transported more than 30,000 COVID-19 samples collected from a drive-thru testing site to the hospital's laboratories for testing. The Mayo Clinic project has since received national and international recognition from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), and ITS World Congress.

For more information about the JTA's U2C program, visit u2c.jtafla.com or email [email protected].  To contact Beep senior executives, contact [email protected].

About the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA)
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) is an independent state agency serving Jacksonville, Florida and Northeast Florida with multi-modal responsibilities. The JTA provides varied mass public transit services, and is a builder of roads, bridges and other infrastructure to enhance mobility in Jacksonville. Public transportation services include BRT and regular bus service, paratransit, the St. Johns River Ferry, Skyway APM, and other mobility and on-demand services in Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties. To learn more, visit www.jtafla.com

About Beep
Beep delivers the next generation of mobility services utilizing driverless, electric, multi-passenger vehicles. By specializing in planning and managing advanced autonomous shuttles for both private and public communities, Beep safely connects people, places and services in first-mile, last-mile mobility networks. Beep also leverages the data and learnings from its public road projects to produce vehicle agnostic, edge solutions meant to enhance safety, access, artificial-intelligence and driverless operating capabilities of autonomous platforms. Beep delivers on a primary goal of enabling mobility-for-all with the services and software they provide. For more information visit: www.ridebeep.com

Contact: Beep Corporate Communications
310.374.6177
[email protected]

SOURCE Beep, Inc.