JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) on Thursday unveiled its new ‘Autonomous Innovation Center,’ marking what the agency said is a major step forward in bringing autonomous vehicle service to Northeast Florida.

“Jacksonville is open for business and ready to embrace cutting-edge technology,” JAXUSA President Aundra Wallace said during a press conference. “We’ve already seen the tangible benefits.”

The new center, located at 650 W. Bay St., will serve as the command center for JTA’s autonomous mobility fleet, according to JTA. Additionally, it will eventually be used for autonomous vehicle systems in other nearby major cities.

“Today, the Autonomous Innovation Center stands as a symbol of Jacksonville’s bold vision,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan said. “Jacksonville is the first city in the country to deploy autonomous vehicles and AI-powered transit management on this scale in the public transit system.”

The first phase of JTA’s ‘Ultimate Urban Circulator’ program starts this summer. Fourteen autonomous vehicles or shuttles called NAVIs, purchased through German manufacturer Holon, will be rolled out for the Bay Street corridor. NAVI stands for “Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation.”

“This work makes sense for Jacksonville,” Deegan said. “It’s not innovation just for innovation’s sake. It is work that is an important part of our effort to unite Downtown Jacksonville. It will provide our citizens with another option to move around the area and surrounding neighborhood. Mobility options that don’t involve a car will become increasingly important as downtown grows in the years ahead.”

The mayor further explained that Holon’s $100 million investment in this program will create 763 jobs and nearly a $300 million economic benefit.