The Jacksonville Transportation is taking a $6.5 million first step toward revamping the elevated Skyway in downtown so it will become the centerpiece of its planned Ultimate Urban Circulator system .
Drawing from local gas tax money , the JTA board approved a contract with HNTB to do the design that will flesh out an updated cost for converting the elevated Skyway so rubber-tired automated vehicles can use it and also travel on city streets.
The $6.5 million for HNTB will come from the $247 million set aside by the city and JTA for the Ultimate Urban Circulator system in a long list of transportation projects funded by raising the local gas tax in 2021.
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“We are really excited about this because right now we have rough estimates — very rough estimates — in terms of that conversion,” JTA CEO Nat Ford said after the board unanimously approved the contract on Thursday.