Could a bipartisan bromance bring down the NAVI?
Let’s hope so, because after watching the replay of Mayor Donna Deegan’s recent crash while defending Jacksonville’s soon-to-be $65 million fully manual autonomous vehicle public transportation system – madam mayor might need a minute.
Less than six months after launching phase one of Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) project, Republican City Council Members Rory Diamond and Democrat Jimmy Peluso both agree it’s time for the council to cancel the NAVI autonomous vehicle program and consider other more economically practical public transportation options. Despite differing opinions on what those options should be, Diamond isn’t waiting. He’s already introduced legislation to eliminate $247 million in city funding for phases two and three of the U2C.
For those keeping score:
Jacksonville has already burned through $65 million on NAVI, with another $247 million still earmarked for JTA’s complete $400 million U2C fantasy.
To add to the drama, the U.K.-based subcontractor operating JTA’s autonomous vehicle program is getting out of the AV passenger game by year’s end. Apparently Oxa finally realized there’s no profit in dressing up cargo vans with autonomous tech still requiring a driver.
JTA’s CEO dropped that bomb during an uncomfortable appearance before the Duval DOGE committee in early November. Unless there’s a Plan B already in place, JTA will soon own a $5.5 million fleet of 14 fully manual Ford E-Transit vans – the most expensive non-autonomous fully autonomous public transportation system in the country.
What an absolute scandal!
And it seems to be taking its toll on one of NAVI’s biggest defenders. During her monthly segment on WJCT’s First Coast Connect, Democrat Mayor Deegan lashed out after the host, Anne Schindler, read an email from “Jennifer,” a concerned taxpayer asking why the city isn’t considering light rail connecting downtown to the suburbs and eliminating instead of doubling down on NAVI.
“Well, respectfully, I would disagree with the caller,” the mayor snapped. “I think that autonomous vehicles are going to be the way of the future.” The mayor warned Jennifer and other “naysayers” to stop hatin’ on NAVI’s abysmal ridership numbers because JTA told her they “investigated” and the NAVI will be awesome – in the future.
Tensions rose when Schindler brought the mayor’s boo bear – JTA’s CEO Nat Ford – and Action News Jax recent reports on JTA allegedly “juicing the numbers” by inviting staff to ride while hoping no one noticed.
“Anne!” Deegan shouted. “It’s…”
This is the moment the few people listening hoped the mayor realized – she better check herself before she wrecked herself.
She didn’t.
“To me, this is just a straw man. I mean, it really is,” Deegan insisted.
(Sigh)
The mayor went on to say she doesn’t understand “what the big deal is” about asking employees to ride while pretending not to.
“I’m just… I just… I’m frustrated with this issue,” Deegan complained.
After JTA gave us a $65 million half-a** pseudo autonomous shuttle system nobody wants to ride, the mayor is “frustrated” by our ungratefulness.
“It just seems like a ‘gotcha’ to me,” the mayor said.
She wrapped up the segment reminding the disloyal to “see how all this stuff works out,” before passing judgement.
Well, respectfully, I would disagree with the mayor.
JTA’s “if you build it, they will come,” business model is collapsing under the weight of its own pre-manifested glory. Yet the mayor and JTA continue to tell us NAVI is the “future of mobility,” even as the city is realizing the autonomous shuttles are not autonomous and the promised ridership never came.
This past spring, while standing on the rooftop terrace of the NAVI’s new $40 million command center, Ford proclaimed NAVI is “a symbol of our unwavering commitment to lead with innovation and to pursue efficiency without compromise.”
So, it’s U2C or bust for Jacksonville. Based on the last six months, my money’s on the bromance.
