Autonomous Florida, a program of the Florida Chamber of Commerce, is proud to announce that one of its Steering Committee partners, Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) received the Local Government Award for the Americas at the 2021 ITS World Congress in Hamburg, Germany. The Award recognizes local governments from across the world for mobility innovation and collaboration.

“Now is the time to prepare Florida for the next generation of transportation, and Florida’s business community is at the forefront of autonomous mobility advocacy and action,” said Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson. “To grow Florida’s economy from the 15^th largest to the 10^th largest in the world, we must unite the business community to connect all of Florida for the 21^st century, and a vital part of that is mobility innovation. With an additional 3 million drivers expected on our roads by 2030, partners like Nat Ford and his team at JTA are assuring that growth is an opportunity, not a challenge.”

WASHINGTON — Nathaniel P. Ford Sr. and Shawn Wilson have been appointed as chair and vice chair, respectively, of the 2022 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee by Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences and chair of the National Research Council. Their terms will begin in January 2022 during the 101st TRB Annual Meeting.

The TRB Executive Committee is composed of approximately 25 members, appointed by the chair of the National Research Council. These members are selected to provide balanced representation of transportation modes, academic disciplines, private and public sectors, levels of government, geographical regions, and other relevant factors. The committee provides strategic direction and oversight for all of TRB’s programs and activities.

New technology means new jobs.
Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Secretary Kevin Thibault says growth in autonomous and electrical vehicle technology will impact not only Florida’s roadways, but its universities and agency workforce as well.
At a Thursday meeting of the Florida Transportation Commission, Thibault told attendees he has been reaching out to universities to ensure students are prepared for impending changes in the coming years.

DEARBORN, Mich., JULY 21, 2021 – In an industry-first collaboration, Argo AI, Lyft and Ford Motor Company are working together to commercialize autonomous ride hailing at scale. The unique collaboration brings together all of the parts necessary to create a viable autonomous ride hailing service, including the self-driving technology, vehicle fleet and transportation network needed to support a scalable business and deliver an exceptional experience for riders.

Jacksonville Business Journal, July 14, 2021

JTA and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have partnered to test a new tire at the Armsdale Test & Learn facility in Northwest Jacksonville.