Nat Ford talks JTA's role in Jacksonville growth

JTA CEO Nathaniel Ford
JTA CEO Nat Ford
Courtesy of Jacksonville Transportation Authority
Ellen Schneider
By Ellen Schneider – Reporter, Jacksonville Business Journal

Jacksonville Transportation Authority CEO Nat Ford spoke at last week’s Transportation and Logistics Council luncheon about all things growth - economic development along bus lines, JTA's growth into new counties and into new modes of transportation.

Ford touted everything from the JTA's Regional Transportation Center in LaVilla to the $200 million in economic activity that JTA generates and the $1.6 billion being spent on construction in residential and commercial development within a half mile of First Coast Flyer routes.

However, he also spoke to JTA's success, in comparison to other transportation authorities. He believes that part of the reason JTA has been able to create an innovative vision the future of Jacksonville's public transit, is because it is a holistic entity, versus a fractured one. This allows JTA to address a wider breadth of issues with a focus on long term solutions, hence the push for autonomous vehicles, among other things.

Despite that concentration on an all-encompassing transportation authority, Ford was unclear on whether that would be expanded to parking.

"We have such a good relationship with the Downtown Investment Authority, we're on the same page with them," said Ford. "I think when you talk about some of these other communities, the challenges they have, you have some really siloed organizations, and I think my colleagues and myself around the country, we're able to deliver better projects from cradle to grave."

Ford went on to say that the synergies that exist between the DIA and JTA allow for a compatible relationship, one in which, Ford said has DIA CEO Lori Boyer on speed dial and often speaks with her often about real estate, downtown parking and other issues.

"You don't have to have all of this under one umbrella, you just have to make sure the components under the umbrella are all working together very well, and fortunately we do," said Ford.

Despite reluctance to bring parking into the fold, Ford does believe that JEA will be intimately involved in the development of downtown, as the construction of the Bay Street Corridor, as well as the transition and expansion of the Skyway will bolster that growth - more so than parking could.

"Developers are looking for traffic, you're obviously looking for transportation for the folks who in that residential development, but if there's mixed use development that has commercial and retail, traffic means accessibility to workers, traffic in terms of customers, that's important," said Ford.

He added that valuable real estate is being eaten up by parking. That land could be an income generator, he says, versus taking up space for vehicles. "Think about if that same space could be repurposed for economic benefit," Ford said.

In terms of JTA's developments that are already underway, Ford estimates 3 years to get the Bay Street Corridor up and running, 5-7 years to convert the Skyway to an elevated roadway for autonomous vehicles and 10 years for the 10-miles expansion of that roadway.

Ford also gave an update on where Jacksonville's bike share stands. He said that the city is attempting to be intentional in gearing up for the bikes, instead of reacting to it later on, the way that other cities have in the past when multiple companies move in at once.

"I think those of who have travelled around the country, you've seen, if it's not checked, and it's not managed, you'll end up with five or half a dozen different scooter or bike companies littering your street. So, we want to be a little bit deliberate about this," said Ford.

Council member LeAnna Cumber is working with JTA on legislation to implement guidelines and parameters around bike share. However, there's no timeline yet on when that legislation will be introduced.

"The process related to using city streets, using city infrastructure, and the actual concession process is something that needs to be worked out," said Ford.

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