Jacksonville is poised to “build” on its innovative transportation efforts, following a $25 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).

The USDOT Secretary recently announced that the City of Jacksonville and Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) are two recipients of its BUILD 2018 grant. Each will receive $12.5 million, enabling them to “Better Utilize Investments to Leverage Development.”

The Urban Core Riverfront Revitalization and Complete Streets project, submitted by the City of Jacksonville in July bolsters the City’s commitment to downtown development in and around the Jacksonville Sports and Entertainment Complex and Shipyards. Following the completion of a Florida Department of Transportation study conducted last fall, the City announced its commitment to pursuing efforts to improve downtown access to and from the Hart Bridge.

In its grant proposal, the City detailed the benefits and value of replacing a portion of the elevated western downtown access ramp with an at-grade solution, adding a pedestrian and bike friendly feature to the 50-year-old bridge. Additional plans identified in the grant include constructing a new signalized intersection at Bay Street and Gator Bowl Blvd., widening of Bay Street/Gator Bowl Blvd., construction of a ramp at A. Philp Randolph Blvd. and other traffic calming improvements.

The Bay Street Innovation Corridor project is a joint project of key community partners including the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA), City of Jacksonville, North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce. The project will implement the first phase of the Ultimate Urban Circulator (U²C) Program, down Bay Street.

The corridor will incorporate technology and Smart City innovations to support economic development and enhance mobility for the citizens of Jacksonville. The project will uniquely transform downtown mobility while enhancing safety, efficiency and accessibility along a critical east-west corridor in Downtown Jacksonville and support the upsurge.