Innovating Transit: JTA CEO Nat Ford’s Vision for Jacksonville’s Future

[00:00:01] Mike Mike Mike Mike Mike, Mike On Mic, a conversation about politics, government and

[00:00:08] Jacksonville.

[00:00:09] With 50-year opinion leaders, Mike Hightower, Mike Tolbert, an award-winning broadcaster

[00:00:15] and longtime political observer, Mike Miller.

[00:00:18] Well, for once again to another episode of Mike's On Mic, I'm Mike Miller along with

[00:00:21] my colleague, Mike Hightower, a Syrian studio, and we understand that Mike Tolbert is actually

[00:00:26] in a parking lot, calling the show today because he got lost, getting to Jacksonville.

[00:00:32] Now he had some issues, technical issues as we've had in the past and because of that

[00:00:36] he's joining us remotely, but good to have everybody here.

[00:00:40] It's what happens when he daily read crumbs.

[00:00:42] He got that real life.

[00:00:43] Our guest recently wrote it at a Times Union, guest column that Jacksonville is experiencing

[00:00:48] a transformation.

[00:00:50] Today, we want to ask the author of that column, Nat Fords, why believes that are always

[00:00:54] some other recent developments at the Jacksonville Transportation Authority where he's

[00:00:58] been the CEO since 2012.

[00:01:01] Not welcome back.

[00:01:02] Well, Mike's on deck.

[00:01:03] Thank you for having me.

[00:01:04] Nice to have you here.

[00:01:05] Right time.

[00:01:06] Before we do that, though, I've got to congratulate you and GTA for securing a 15.6 million-dollar

[00:01:13] grant in order to finally be able to buy a second-saint John's River Ferry.

[00:01:18] So, congratulations.

[00:01:23] Thank you.

[00:01:24] I just been passionate.

[00:01:25] It has been and we're knocking on wood.

[00:01:27] We want to keep it rolling.

[00:01:28] You have any good numbers for a lot of?

[00:01:31] I thought about that.

[00:01:32] I was going to ask for a loan.

[00:01:34] I just want the number.

[00:01:35] Oh, forgot to forgive it.

[00:01:37] The other one.

[00:01:37] I was so mean.

[00:01:38] Listen, before we get into the lead of the conversation, I do want to mention to you how

[00:01:42] is reading some post online.

[00:01:46] Then I heard from a couple of other people that there were some weird traffic hanging

[00:01:50] games coming out of the first game of their Jaguars.

[00:01:54] All I could think of at that time saying, you stupid people, why aren't you taking the

[00:01:58] game to express?

[00:01:59] Would you please let people know that there's another way of getting their besides having

[00:02:03] to drive yourself and be a traffic?

[00:02:05] Yeah, the game takes.

[00:02:06] I mean, we run it from four different locations.

[00:02:10] And frankly, there are people still trying to get out of the station.

[00:02:14] I mean, get out of the stadium and we've got folks close to their cars using game dates

[00:02:19] pressing their own way home, because we have the exclusive lanes that get us out of

[00:02:24] the stadium quicker.

[00:02:25] And we've been running that for decades.

[00:02:27] So it is the best and smartest way to get to the game.

[00:02:31] I encourage people to look it up on our website, JTA, FLA dot com, and actually get some

[00:02:38] information about game-dear.

[00:02:40] It's for us.

[00:02:40] Mr. Tolberk, kick it off for us.

[00:02:43] Yeah.

[00:02:44] Yeah, Nat.

[00:02:44] Thanks so much for being with us today.

[00:02:46] I'm sorry.

[00:02:47] I'm having to talk to you from inside of barrel.

[00:02:49] No worries.

[00:02:50] No worries.

[00:02:51] But I'll be out soon.

[00:02:53] You know, going back, going back to Jackson will go through a transformation.

[00:02:59] I believe a lot of people share that sentiment.

[00:03:02] But I think probably we have different reasons for believing that.

[00:03:06] I think in that.

[00:03:07] I'd like to know what yours are.

[00:03:09] So what's called is you to make that statement.

[00:03:11] And then I want to explain how JTA is contributing or impacting this transformation.

[00:03:19] Well, you know, the interesting thing that when you look at the numbers in terms of migrations

[00:03:24] across the country to certain communities, we're at the top of the list.

[00:03:28] I think Jacksonville's like number two or three in terms of relocations from other parts

[00:03:33] of the country to a community.

[00:03:36] And I believe the number in last year was about 17,000 new residents and the past fiscal

[00:03:42] year, past 12 months.

[00:03:44] And so with that higher demand for mobility, different mobility choices.

[00:03:49] Clearly people are still going to drive their cars.

[00:03:52] But we do have populations that need mobility and automobile might not be their primary

[00:03:58] choice.

[00:03:59] We're also seeing from that migration that a lot of citizens, new citizens want to use

[00:04:05] public transportation and other modes for mobility.

[00:04:08] So what has happened for the JTA over the past few years, we've really had to diversify

[00:04:12] our portfolio services.

[00:04:14] Everybody knows about the skyway.

[00:04:16] You know about our 40 foot buses you see those.

[00:04:19] But now we're operating ready ride, which is almost like a door to door, Uber-like service

[00:04:23] in 14, 14 communities in Duval County.

[00:04:28] Reason being is without, without ready ride a 40 foot bus would be very expensive and

[00:04:35] overkill in terms of delivering those services.

[00:04:37] We're also seeing trips that are not necessarily going to downtown, which has historically

[00:04:43] been the center of all activity, jobs, retail things, and nature.

[00:04:46] That has changed over the years.

[00:04:48] And what we're seeing is more trips within a community, within a neighborhood, and still

[00:04:53] folks would much rather prefer in some cases to hop on a vehicle, go door to door,

[00:04:59] seniors.

[00:04:59] And in some cases we have the youth, a great growth of an R&R ridership has been the

[00:05:05] middle schoolers and high schoolers that are now using public transportation and helping

[00:05:10] to alleviate some of the challenges DCPS has been having with school bus.

[00:05:14] I'm not just that, but for those students they ride for free.

[00:05:17] Don't think that's right.

[00:05:19] We thought, yes, that's right.

[00:05:21] So for a number of years now it's been at least two, two years or so.

[00:05:25] When we started the pilot, we had a Monday through Friday, kind of school hours.

[00:05:30] We got such a demand for seven days a week, pre school hours, post school hours because

[00:05:38] of sports activities as well as part of, you know, that after school job, that many of us

[00:05:45] had a young person growing up.

[00:05:47] And so now it's seven days a week and we're really excited.

[00:05:51] It's one of our fastest growing ridership classifications.

[00:05:55] And then, you know, the autonomous vehicle program.

[00:05:58] We do believe that is the future is just not if it's really a question of when in terms

[00:06:05] of the technology, maturing to the point that in addition to what we call door to door

[00:06:10] type service that there is kind of a fixed public transit service.

[00:06:14] And that's what we're working on.

[00:06:16] We're vastly different from way, mow and Uber and what they're doing.

[00:06:19] We are doing fixed loops of driverless vehicles.

[00:06:23] And we believe that'll give us an opportunity to provide far more mobility to this community.

[00:06:28] The about the 17,000.

[00:06:30] I saw some of this statistic this I came from from the chamber or it was from the mayor's

[00:06:36] office that a lot of these people who are the 17,000 who were moving here or more had been used

[00:06:43] to take exactly so they are they are they are coming here with because they had grown up

[00:06:49] but they are moving from those metropolitan areas for a lot of different quality alive

[00:06:55] low taxes all screeds are coming here and there's one he matters that are coming

[00:06:59] exactly right.

[00:07:00] So they're coming in here with they thought of having lived with it, having no what it is

[00:07:04] and all sudden is that is how driving your innovative thinking and also you and your staff

[00:07:10] if we're going to have these new people they're used to this what are we doing.

[00:07:14] We have to serve that community and they are looking for an expecting a choice.

[00:07:18] They may still own via cars and drive and things that nature but they're looking at

[00:07:23] that choice of alternatives that they believe is sustainable and much more conducive to their lifestyle.

[00:07:30] And so if you look at it from another statistic, car ownership on average about $13,000 a year

[00:07:37] to own a car and depending on your income level, that $13,000 could be a quarter to more in terms

[00:07:45] of your income. So if we don't have robust public transportation as an alternative,

[00:07:50] folks will have that challenge in terms of their financial lifestyle and the bills for housing

[00:07:56] and food and things that nature. So if we could provide a low cost alternative to owning an

[00:08:02] automobile it'll help all of our community.

[00:08:04] I remember really quick now. I remember when gas first hit $4 a gallon years ago and how

[00:08:10] it's still 18 at that time and I mean we saw great spike in ridership and that just proves the

[00:08:15] point that you get to a financial position where it's no longer viable for you to use your own

[00:08:21] transportation mode because gas got so high at that point. JTA was the beneficiary that

[00:08:27] I mean that is because we ended up getting increased ridership as a result of that.

[00:08:31] You got to cast versions among the airport or down, but do you know what it costs to park?

[00:08:37] Or that too. Yeah. You can find it. I mean wait a minute there's another issue here.

[00:08:43] It's a year, you get a car is trying to find a parking place. All of a sudden you can afford one

[00:08:48] they don't take quarters. Listen, I went to a shrimp game a couple of months ago and that's when

[00:08:54] Luke Holmes was in town and he was playing at the same time. There was a jet and a shrimp game

[00:08:58] $40 to park in the parking garage at the stadium. Wow. $40 a car. Now that you are not,

[00:09:07] it's no longer a bus company. Kind of a help us understand some of the new things. One issue I don't

[00:09:13] need for it is just it's the leadership of where we are with the immotrile which is a big thing. That's right.

[00:09:19] And then this new thing called U2C. So thank you for that because when we talk about the

[00:09:24] rural trail receiving that earlier this year, same year that we're talking about some of these

[00:09:29] other wins. $147 million to finish and complete the rural trail. $147 from the federal government.

[00:09:37] $38 million as coming from the JTA and the JTA has been very fiscally responsive over the years

[00:09:43] and squirled this money away in our capital reserves to be hyper competitive for these federal grants.

[00:09:49] You have to have local dollars to match the federal grant. Now we have $184 million project

[00:09:55] to complete which is the remaining summer segments of the emerald trail. I'd like to point out

[00:10:01] that doesn't happen overnight. You know, out of 696 applications, 132 awardees and JTA was

[00:10:10] the sixth highest in the country in the United States and associated territories. I make sure I get

[00:10:16] those facts right. So with that, the JTA's reputation and the work that we do in terms of

[00:10:24] engaging in Washington DC where these decisions are made in terms of these grants, it bears fruit.

[00:10:30] Over this 10 to 12-year timeframe, $350 million out of sorry, forgot the ferry grant. 15.6 so

[00:10:41] $366 million in federal grants, competitive grants have come to the JTA because one we are very well

[00:10:49] connected and in tune with the desires of the federal transportation and administration,

[00:10:56] the U.S. Department of Transportation. So we've been working that for years. We've been sharing

[00:11:00] our projects, our vision and what are the needs of this community. I do some of that personally

[00:11:07] and then I do it with staff and we do it also with hired consultants that do that work.

[00:11:13] And the return speaks for itself and now we have the challenge of six years to build the

[00:11:19] remaining segments. That comes along with it which is the responsibility to perform and execute

[00:11:25] on these contracts. Our original grant was for 10-year horizon to build this program. So you can imagine

[00:11:31] we won on one hand but then we're kind of okay how we're going to do this in six years.

[00:11:37] Great partnership with the city, great partnership with Grail Workjacks. We're working through

[00:11:41] those final decisions on how to deliver this project on schedule. Switching gears, the U.S.

[00:11:48] Project. Correct. So when I first arrived, the Skyway was very controversial issue, probably still today.

[00:11:58] This team didn't build a Skyway. But we do recognize that there's a federal investment in the

[00:12:03] Skyway and with the amount of downtown development that is occurring, everything from the stadium,

[00:12:09] four seasons on Thursday you'll hear announcement about two transitory into developments

[00:12:14] that the JTA is partnering with the private sector on our property in downtown. So there is going

[00:12:21] to be a significant growth in population downtown. A lot of activity, there's going to be a need

[00:12:25] to move people efficiently. Skyway, obsolete technology, should we keep it? Should we tear it down?

[00:12:32] Decision was made to keep it and find a way to expand it and extend it to 10 miles.

[00:12:38] Doing the same monorail technology that we currently have is out obsolete. That's okay. I've

[00:12:50] been because we're road builders. We started hearing about autonomous vehicles and how to make

[00:12:54] smart roads that these vehicles can talk to traffic signals, things at that nature. The U2C project

[00:13:01] came from simply leveraging that two and a half mile structure that the federal government still has

[00:13:07] investment in and we converting it back to a roadway. It used to be a two and a half mile roadway

[00:13:13] at elevation, converted back to a roadway and then between a combination of autonomous vehicles

[00:13:18] at street level and on the elevated structure we are able to move people in downtown.

[00:13:25] Finishing up. It caught the interest of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Florida Department

[00:13:33] of Transportation, very innovative solution for thinking courageous in a lot of ways but very

[00:13:40] leveraging this advanced technology. So we first phase is phase one and base street from

[00:13:47] the probably area of the landing to give you an orientation to the stadium. Phase two is conversion

[00:13:53] of that skyway from a monorail back to a roadway using autonomous vehicles on that structure

[00:13:59] and then extending up to Springfield to the UF Health area down into Brooklyn Riverside

[00:14:07] and San Marco on the south side. One of the things we're getting a federal grant

[00:14:15] is by America build America clauses. There were no at the time we were ready to at the time

[00:14:23] we're getting ready to launch, no by America compliant, purpose built autonomous vehicle from the

[00:14:29] ground up. Number of retrofits out there in fact that's what we're running in Brooklyn right now

[00:14:33] in terms of the Brooklyn lunch service it's a retrofit conventional electric vehicle with an

[00:14:40] autonomous kit bolted onto it integrated into it. How was that going? That's it's going okay

[00:14:46] and you started that. Yeah it just started and I mean we couldn't have picked a worse time

[00:14:50] but you know you know these systems like the sonar systems, you know they guide some Marines

[00:14:55] but they I don't think they saw as much rain as we've seen. Oh wow the laser is so you know

[00:15:01] out of a bunch of caution it's been a bit spotty we're doing it just during lunch hours

[00:15:06] and then when we feel that there's any question of safety, sweetly suspended and come back the next

[00:15:12] day but the idea is to educate the public on these technologies let them see the vehicle moving

[00:15:18] without a driver without someone using the steering wheel or the gas pedal and I think we're

[00:15:24] accomplishing that and it will continue I believe to the end of October. Yes so going back to this

[00:15:31] major win with hold on coming to Jacksonville about two and a half years ago you know we knew

[00:15:38] we had a plate either we're going to make a decision to go at a retrofitted vehicle that looks

[00:15:42] more conventional in nature or could we find our get a waiver from by America on the

[00:15:49] purpose built autonomous vehicles more in line with what you were seeing at our test track and

[00:15:54] things in nature you see it in the news. We were denied that opportunity and for the right reasons

[00:16:00] we do support by America build America but at the same time we started hunting and we started talking

[00:16:07] to some of the foreign manufacturers of these autonomous vehicles. We had two particular

[00:16:13] tenidates they invited us to go to Las Vegas for the unveiling and imagine being in Las Vegas

[00:16:19] and seeing Jacksonville the map of Jacksonville the U2C project on the on the CES floor. If you ever

[00:16:27] into that show it's the largest consumer a lot of times show in the world and you know they're

[00:16:34] bucket list for me I can go home. Yeah hold on had we and we took pictures we were there

[00:16:39] their whole on had their vehicle they did their international unveiling of their vehicle

[00:16:44] and then they were showcasing that this vehicle was prepared or designed with this project

[00:16:51] the U2C in mind and so it was very very you know exciting experience and that was in January of

[00:16:58] 2023 they hadn't decided yet they were going to come to Jacksonville. They had multiple plants

[00:17:04] they had 86 plants around the world the parent company is bent alert they've been around for

[00:17:09] 150 years and in our series of meetings and their engagements they've come to Jacksonville

[00:17:16] invited us to Patreborn Germany where they're you know that's home base where they do a lot of

[00:17:21] their other automotive type work so a number of trips Andre Wallace from the Jackson USA I

[00:17:28] made sure he got engaged because that's his forte right in terms of this economic development

[00:17:32] play and putting together the packages to entice them and between the economic packages what

[00:17:38] they call a lighthouse project for the United States. So they believe by co-locating here in

[00:17:45] Jacksonville right adjacent to the U2C project also you know I learned a lot about economic development

[00:17:51] the population cost of living workforce expertise navy veterans that retire here the

[00:17:59] universities that are generating very well-educated engineers that is what their

[00:18:06] CEO Casper Bentley calls the ecosystem that they felt was necessary for them to be successful in

[00:18:13] and launch their first U.S. manufacturing facility it is a hell of a story that I think many of

[00:18:20] us who were involved behind the scenes over the past two years the mayor both mayors I think you

[00:18:26] see in this document you can see the history we put together to show how this happened

[00:18:32] over about a two and a half year period that they announced just the September 4th they announced

[00:18:39] their coming to Jacksonville 500,000 square foot manufacturing facility 300 200 to 300 jobs

[00:18:48] one shift 5000 units a year if they get to two shifts 10,000 units a year and then leveraging

[00:18:56] our highway system our railroad infrastructure and our port to push these vehicles across the

[00:19:04] world they're talking about exporting back to Europe Asia and the Middle East as well as the

[00:19:10] rest of the United States so it's something I think those of us who were involved it is a

[00:19:15] crowning moment for us career wise congratulations all of you that put all so long we know it's

[00:19:21] a hell of a story it is you know well for those of y'all watching there's a great brochure

[00:19:26] the ultimate urban circulator case study executive summary for those of you all who are listening

[00:19:32] of cold day TA you're on moving copy you gotta get a copy it's absolutely incredible hundred million

[00:19:39] dollar investment would more to come good for you mr. Tolver yeah you know man it's obvious

[00:19:45] from your enthusiasm and what you're sharing with us that's you already have executed

[00:19:52] some incredible plans for the future of JTA and and I'm sure you've got more plans on the drawing

[00:19:59] towards you just hadn't gotten to yeah it hasn't said all that and you've also had to overcome

[00:20:05] obstacles I know it hadn't been a smooth sailing for you the whole way up yeah I'd like to know

[00:20:11] what's looking ahead what do you see the obstacles for you coming up and how do you

[00:20:17] convince the skeptics that you're doing the right thing yeah you know I think with this type of

[00:20:24] it takes a great deal of courage and I think a certain amount of determination and I'm blessed with a

[00:20:31] team I'm surrounded by some really strong determined individuals we know that we are you know

[00:20:39] embarking on these very challenging journey journeys but we do it out of understanding and a belief

[00:20:45] that we're doing it to improve the quality of life for the community that we live in

[00:20:49] we know these technologies are coming we know these issues related to population growth are coming

[00:20:55] we don't want to deal with the problem after it's already here so we're trying to make the

[00:21:00] smart decisions early and leverage new technology and leverage appropriate planning and decision

[00:21:06] making one of our initiatives is something that we're working with the city with and partnership with

[00:21:11] the the mayor's office is mobility vision plan 2050 we need to start now in terms of what does

[00:21:18] this community need to invest in for adequate mobility from an economic standpoint health care

[00:21:26] standpoint education the list goes on and on the better we move the better our community will be

[00:21:33] and so it takes a lot of courage it takes some vision and I'm surrounded by a team of folks that

[00:21:39] are not satisfied with the status quo we're always looking for that next month we don't we don't

[00:21:45] find hills at the JTA we look for mountains to climb and this is evidence of that you know

[00:21:51] there's one thing I used to say when I did external affairs of JTA first got there in two

[00:21:57] exactly like well we found a 4th real but I used to always say to then the CEO my

[00:22:04] playlock I said you know the problem we have is that we're always invited for dessert but we're

[00:22:09] invited for cocktails and appetizers we gotta get there and be there is part of the first group

[00:22:15] of people and not brought in at the end to say okay JTA now what are you going to do to help support us

[00:22:21] if that's I'm not I wrote you know that was just right there but I might to follow up on that I think

[00:22:30] you know we're team that likes to win and we're a team that believes that we could be first

[00:22:36] as a community we could be first in terms of this autonomous vehicle technology and why not be

[00:22:42] first why not have the first autonomous vehicle manufacturer in the United States in our backyard

[00:22:47] they had other choices they have other facilities around the country but we fought hard for

[00:22:52] Jacksonville and using this project then all of the blessings that we have here in our community

[00:22:57] to bring them to Jacksonville. Two words come out of this leadership and tenacity I mean you know

[00:23:04] waiting to see how it's going to do you'll come in second so it's gotta be leadership,

[00:23:10] it's gotta be tenacity and it's a team effort and then got that then you keep pushing

[00:23:15] and it's a tribute to our border directors well hey no question we have a world class group of

[00:23:21] directors as you know I've worked in San Francisco in the Lantai work for a number of board

[00:23:26] members of the years this team of board members bar none have been the most business minded oriented

[00:23:34] prudent risk taking group that I've ever worked with and they do provide the adequate amount

[00:23:39] of oversight in our decision making the assets the tough questions that at the end of the day

[00:23:44] that whole that passion about improving the quality of life in this community overrides that

[00:23:49] we cannot choke on our success years from now because we didn't have the courage to move

[00:23:54] forward with this mobility solution that other cities are we're not alone they're working pretty

[00:24:00] quickly and fast to deploy these technologies because it's a competitive advantage from a business

[00:24:04] standpoint and it's also a vanity again in terms of quality of life helping people get to school

[00:24:10] helping them get to doctors office and then helping them get to that job in a more efficient way

[00:24:16] and not just being stuck with a 40 foot bus what do we what do we do and and this has been an age old

[00:24:23] discussion in the halls of JTA forever and that is do we do like rail yeah do we do

[00:24:29] smaller buses do we do trolleys do we do autonomous vehicle street cars yeah and Kuluso is

[00:24:36] one who says I'd rather see light rail and true and trolleys than then see a v's out there

[00:24:42] what do you say to those skeptics who have that position so so as someone who started their career

[00:24:48] with New York City transly as a train conductor there is there there's not a train ticket please he still

[00:24:56] says I have one of people wanting there there is not a train project that I don't like to be honest

[00:25:01] with you but I also've had the opportunity working around the country and having built street cars

[00:25:06] and run the cable cars in San Francisco and light rail in heavy rail in kilometer rail I've

[00:25:11] done all it's got to be the right tool for the right fit are we talking about light rail from an

[00:25:18] economic development standpoint in terms of the fixed infrastructure and the development that

[00:25:24] cars may be around a fixed rail infrastructure station or are we talking about the ridership that is

[00:25:33] necessary to justify that type of investment right so you build the light rail system do we have

[00:25:38] the population density that's why MVP 2050 is so important if we don't have the right

[00:25:45] land use intensity profile you may have trips in the morning nothing occurring during the day

[00:25:52] and trips in the evening as it relates to the typical commute pattern do we have the density

[00:25:58] in what quarter here in Jacksonville where you would have light rail passengers traveling in both

[00:26:04] directions now my predecessor Michael Blaylock he was great in terms of the inst I would say

[00:26:10] incremental step which was first coast flier right RART the stations are located miles apart from

[00:26:17] each other in most cases so it's BRT and getting you prepared for light rail because you want to

[00:26:24] develop those quarters that be much higher density I remember years ago one of my peers

[00:26:29] amongst the independent authorities asked me about light rail out to the beach and I would love

[00:26:35] to build a light rail project out to the beach now there is some cost differential between what we're

[00:26:39] doing with the U2C I mean I'm doing three miles for sixty five million dollars with a control center

[00:26:45] sixty five million dollars won't buy you you know a hundred yards of a light rail system

[00:26:50] so you know we really got to look at the hundreds of millions of dollars versus the billions

[00:26:56] of dollars in terms of what we need in Jacksonville but going to that peer the question from

[00:27:01] that peer about light rail out to the beaches if you look down beach Boulevard Atlantic Boulevard

[00:27:06] how many buildings do you have over five stories that would really provide that ridership

[00:27:11] that would justify multi billion dollar investment that is there 24 hours a day seven days a

[00:27:17] week the rail system the rail cars the you know the transmission lines the overhead wires so

[00:27:24] we will be ready for rail at some point but there is the planning and the land use

[00:27:30] development policies to encourage the density to support the utilization of that line I know

[00:27:36] there I could be here for a whole day talking about it love to have light rail see it at all the other

[00:27:40] cities but I think for us until we get to the densities that we need it may be a very costly

[00:27:47] endeavor and the federal government who's probably going to come in at about 50% of the construction

[00:27:52] they want to see that ridership right before they're going to put their money well again you're

[00:27:57] competing with other markets or want that same money that you'd be going exactly who have the

[00:28:01] density exactly and that's why the MVP 2050 study is so important to inform our elected officials

[00:28:08] our policy decision makers our developers on what are those development patterns that will help us

[00:28:14] be more effective from a mobility standpoint I'll tell you one thing I'd like to see in that 2050

[00:28:19] study something we worked on years ago I'd still like to see northeast Florida regional transportation

[00:28:25] well I didn't say something that has now I'm crossing across the county line I know I know

[00:28:31] I don't on Thursday at our board meeting we're going to give up day two the board for the

[00:28:36] regional rail study that has been underworked on the works for a couple of years now and that is

[00:28:42] you know started out looking at St. John's County saying Augustine two Jacksonville

[00:28:47] the Livila train terminal area I had as expanded I'm not going to spoil it for my board but

[00:28:55] I think that's an interesting endeavor because the commute patterns from St. John's County to

[00:29:03] Jacksonville do Vol County is something to pay attention with in terms of the population growth

[00:29:07] we got we got to deal with that has anyone talking to Brighteline yes we've had some conversations

[00:29:13] with Brighteline I think they're very focused on you know there there is sister and I have Miami

[00:29:18] or Lando and then Tampa and the work that we're doing doesn't preclude Brighteline and may assist

[00:29:25] them in some ways and I think it has assist do Vol County and St. John's County to really determine

[00:29:30] what investment would they want to make over the next few years in terms of rail when you think

[00:29:36] about all the things that you have at you and your team that are accomplished in a very short length

[00:29:40] of time one of the things that that I know is part of that is that we're 844 square miles

[00:29:47] and so when you're looking at investing in whether the light rail or whether it's that is where

[00:29:54] it's going to be the best bang for the buck and how do you how do you make that look

[00:29:59] equitable and that you're not showing partiality I mean you got 14 city council districts

[00:30:04] but they large I mean when you're thinking about a community and remember this from a JSAJ8

[00:30:10] 844 square miles that that is one of our challenges it is and we're not very sprawled

[00:30:17] right as one of the most sprawled as in terms of communities so where would those lines actually go

[00:30:22] and where is the staying power financially and planning wise to build enough of it

[00:30:28] but but I want to be careful in this you got to start planning for it's one thing to say

[00:30:34] I'm not saying that light rail isn't a solution it may not be though the solution we need

[00:30:38] right at this moment but we should be doing everything with those first coastline

[00:30:43] for fire quarters which were on the major quarters I think Blaylock and his team did a great job

[00:30:48] in the planning what is being done to encourage density of those one of those quarters that

[00:30:53] then at the right time now we flip and invest and replace the RT with Blaybrill

[00:30:59] I that to me is one of your biggest challenges is getting out what has been accomplished

[00:31:05] and how that nets the community together and I go back to what Talbers said you can never

[00:31:10] hold it this project this project is an example of it you know having done you know I was

[00:31:16] part of the central subway in San Francisco project almost a $2 billion project broke ground on

[00:31:22] that project rail projects in Atlanta you know people understand that rail so wait may like it may

[00:31:30] not like it this autonomous vehicle project I found it requires a higher level of education and

[00:31:37] understanding because I think human nature you know what we don't understand are not familiar with

[00:31:42] there's a certain apprehension right fairly very beginning no you know I was there when Uber

[00:31:47] started in San Francisco and no one would have thought that people would get in a vehicle with a stranger

[00:31:52] simply because you looked at your phone and had an app but human nature after time if well

[00:31:58] educated and informed they're they're willing to adapt to these new technologies as I say in the

[00:32:04] beginning it's not a question let's say if this is a question or when why not take advantage of it

[00:32:09] but to your point we have to cut over communicate because of the uniqueness of what we're trying

[00:32:14] to do can I close this out by asking me a non-elebrated kind of question well that'll be

[00:32:23] you know coming from you Mr. Dalver I want to go back I want to go back to where we started with

[00:32:28] the make-wort fairies yeah all right and now I'll be half of my beach friends and my north side friends

[00:32:36] I want to thank you for taking it over and then following through with it and making it even better

[00:32:42] you know that we almost lost the theory that's right and it took some young ones type

[00:32:48] efforts from people like John Crest in Benny and Elaine Brown and others of Gallifords

[00:32:54] because in California yes no Gallifords to save that theory and you guys took it over and

[00:33:01] I get the impression you don't regret that that all especially by experience with one more theory

[00:33:07] no it's not always not always about innovation and new technology sometimes you just go back to

[00:33:15] what really works in his place in your transportation system yes sir it's mobility and when I

[00:33:22] took that on I think it was kind of the new guy in Jacksonville and it was like oh yeah let's give

[00:33:27] them this problem little did they know that I really wanted it you know the our team wanted it

[00:33:34] because our vision as the JTA you know we do the road building bridge building and public transportation

[00:33:39] our vision is to be a holistic transportation provider so from sidewalks to bike lanes you name it

[00:33:46] we want that responsibility we believe that a holistic transportation networks of various different modes

[00:33:52] for different mobility automobiles too that is the the solution of the future you know

[00:34:00] you may be walking today biking tomorrow riding transit the next day and driving a car a day after

[00:34:05] all of that should be harmonious and it should work well together and be integrated and so when

[00:34:11] that ferry opportunity came up and everyone was trying to kick it kick it away and give it to the new

[00:34:16] guy who just came to town and wouldn't know any better I just so again I think this is the DNA of

[00:34:21] team we saw it as an opportunity right and now 55 million dollars later in federal grants and local match

[00:34:29] now we're getting a second ferry now my problem is okay I can't just dock that second ferry

[00:34:35] now what's next in terms of leveraging both those ferries in terms of the same John's river so

[00:34:41] that's something we'll talk with the city about my will talk with my planners and uh it won't be

[00:34:47] just a second ferry it's gonna be uh expansion where Jacksonville the river city I mean you know

[00:34:52] you it only makes sense yeah it has a running sense right so but this has been a pleasure it's always

[00:34:58] thank you sit down with you gentlemen so very very thank you that yeah thank you so much man I think

[00:35:02] the big takeaway from this is that our JTA is not just a bus company no it was just a bit

[00:35:08] John the page ladies and gentlemen oh yeah we're far beyond that all right that's going to do it

[00:35:14] for another episode of Microsoft Michael always our thanks to the Jacksonville Historical Society

[00:35:18] and the Jacksonville History Center for their sponsors sponsorship of our show keeping the lights on

[00:35:24] in the cameras rolling into the wonderful donors of the history center who help keep us on the

[00:35:29] air as well thank you very very much to all and we'll see you again next week. Bikes on Mike with Mike

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