Update after watching most of it:
After 8 years of “testing & learning,” the $322,000 pilot funded by JTA still cannot operate at night or in the rain, still requires an attendant on each vehicle (who must be capable of driving it), and uses a vehicle that is a technological dead-end because no more can be built.
They intend to break ground on Bay Street within 60 days.
It’s really… Theranos-esque.
Haha. Absolutely Theranos-esque. Looking forward to the Hulu series in 8 years. Press conference has some gems (quotes are nearly verbatim):
FSCJ's President: "think about how cool it is to have autonomous vehicles transporting students around our campus. We're also excited because FSCJ is currently the only higher education institution in the country developing a deployed autonomous vehicle on their campus".
Nat Ford: "in this future, what I see is a Jacksonville, where those with mobility needs will be able to regain their independence through the use of these vehicles."
"Not only has FSCJ become the first Florida campus to receive autonomous shuttles, but this AV pilot will help us prepare for the big project, the Bay Street Innovation Corridor and our U2C program. Bay Street is scheduled to launch in 2025."
"Let me say this.
At the JTA we drive very hard. Because its so important to this community, the better we move, the greater our community will become. The JTA is not for the faint of heart. We drive hard, we have bold visions, we work tirelessly, we are courageous, but for the right reasons. And the right reason is to help our people thrive in this community".
JTA Chair Debbie Buckland:"we see a lot of renderings here in Jacksonville. I know I get a little bit tired of seeing them and when we have something that actually comes to fruition, we've had two recently, we had the fountain come to life and now look at this.
Look at we are doing here at FSCJ. It's real. Here it is.""yes it's bold and it's one that is filled with unique challenges, but there is also so much potential as we seek to make Jacksonville a hub for the autonomous vehicle industry.
And that's important for you members of the media to remember, we're going to be famous for this one day and you'll be thanking us.""If you take only one thing away from this, I hope it would be an understanding that this initiative is about so much more than autonomous vehicles. It's about job creation. It's about nurturing a better connected community. And most importantly, it's about creating a tool that enables residents here in Jacksonville we serve to achieve their own success both now and for decades to come."
