In today’s installment of Ya Can’t Make This Stuff Up…
Celebrating one year of Nat Ford’s “Nation-Leading” NAVI program.
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is celebrating a historic milestone this month.
Operating the nation’s first fully autonomous public transportation system – that isn’t fully autonomous – for one whole year.
Such a miraculous accomplishment inspired the U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology Seval Oz, to drop by for a celebratory press conference.
The event was supposed to be about unveiling a new commemorative bus sticker honoring America’s 250th Independence, but really, it was just another NAVI worship service held at JTA’s new $40 million off campus satellite sanctuary – the Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC) – just a few blocks from JTA’s spectacular $57.5 million downtown headquarters.
During the event, Nat Ford, CEO of JTA, explained how his leadership continues to bless us all with an AV program.
“Jacksonville is demonstrating how forward-thinking communities can leverage innovation to improve safety, expand accessibility, strengthen economic opportunity, and build a more connected future for all,” Ford said. “Assistant Secretary Oz’s visit underscores the important role Jacksonville is playing.”
Apparently, the federal government believes Ford’s NAVI (Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation) program is setting a national example.
Oz marveled at JTA’s willingness to put an E-Ford Transit van requiring a human operator on city streets and still market it as the nation’s first fully autonomous public transit system.
“Innovation does require courage, it requires boldness, it requires perseverance, and it requires a sense of vision as to where we should be, as opposed to where we are,” Oz said.
So beautiful.
Oz explained why the NAVI program represents so much more than just “autonomous vehicle deployment.”
NAVI manifests reality, or safety… or something.
“It represents proof that the autonomous public transportation can safely and successfully, with the public trust, operate as part of a real ongoing transit system serving customers throughout the region,” Oz said.
Bless her heart.
Well, for her sake, don’t tell her about that one NAVI incident with a light pole, rumors of staff boosting ridership numbers, or that city engineers stated the NAVI program is an “immediate risk to public safety” and “the city should not allow these vehicles on any road, much less downtown, ever.”
According to Action News Jax, in March the Florida Dept. of Transportation participated in a NAVI demonstration and things didn’t go so well. FDOT’s report revealed NAVI needed seven manual assists and it couldn’t merge back into traffic. NAVIs also “often make hard stops due to misjudging field conditions like flags or pedestrians on the sidewalk.”
Misjudging people?! No big deal. If the feds are happy with NAVI, it doesn’t really matter what local or state officials have to say about it, apparently.
After the bus unveiling, Oz toured the AIC’s command center and took a NAVI ride.
Oz praised JTA for transitioning public transit AVs from “pilot stage into permanent public service.”
“Every day that NAVI is operating, it demonstrates that autonomous mobility is not a theoretical dream,” Ford said. “It’s actually operational, it’s practical, and is helping to write the next chapter in the evolution of transportation.”
Operational? Yes. Practical? No. Evolving transportation? Definitely not.
And that is the true miracle of NAVI – America’s first fully autonomous public transportation system that isn’t fully autonomous.
Despite the safety concerns, the manual assists, and the occasional disagreement with reality, Ford and his faithful continue to preach NAVI is transforming transportation.
Amen. Won’t He do it!
