The Jacksonville Skyway is an automated people mover in Jacksonville, Florida. It opened in 1989 and is operated by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). The skyway has three stations in Downtown Jacksonville and was extended in 1996 following a conversion from its original technology to Bombardier Transportation equipment. It was expanded again in 1998 and 2000. The currently fare-free system comprises two routes across of track, serving eight stations, and crosses the St. Johns River on the Acosta Bridge. In , the system had a ridership of , or about per day as of .
, the Skyway typically only operates on weekdays, although JTA does occasionally operate the system on weekends when there are special events downtown.
Description
The Skyway runs on an elevated two-way monorail track. The system serves eight stations in Downtown Jacksonville: five in the Downtown Core and LaVilla areas, and three across the St. Johns River on the Southbank. There are two routes running south from Rosa Parks Transit Station and branching at Central station: one going west and terminating at LaVilla station, and the other going south over the river and terminating at Kings Avenue station on the Southbank.
From 1989 to 1996 the system used VAL 256-type rubber-wheeled vehicles designed by Matra. This ran only on the , three station Phase I-A segment. In 1997, this was replaced by the current system designed by Bombardier Transportation, a version of its UM III monorail technology. In the current system, vehicles run on beams wide and tall, fixed on an wide guideway with parapet walls. Each driverless train operates under automatic train control, travelling at up to , and can have two, four or six cars (although all current trains have two).
The Skyway connects to the JTA's bus rapid transit system, known as the First Coast Flyer, at the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center at LaVilla.
History
Planning and development
An automated people mover for Downtown Jacksonville was first proposed in 1972 to deal with traffic and parking issues in the urban core. In 1976, the city incorporated the system into its mobility plan, hoping to attract interest from the Urban Mass Transit Administration's Downtown Peoplemover Program. The initial study was undertaken by the Florida Department of Transportation and Jacksonville's planning department, who took the Skyway project to the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) in 1977 for further development. Early proposals recommended a comprehensive system over long that would connect into adjacent neighborhoods, but the project's route and scope were greatly reduced over the years to meet budget constraints and UMTA's parameters.
After several stops and starts, UMTA selected Jacksonville as one of seven cities to receive federal funding for the "Automated Skyway Express" in 1985. Two other related projects are Miami's Metromover and Detroit's People Mover. UMTA's approved plan called for the construction of a Phase I system to be built in three segments; the agency awarded JTA $23.5 million for the initial Phase I-A segment.
Implementation and expansion
In July 1987, JTA selected French company Matra to build the Phase I-A segment. Work was completed in May 1989 at a cost of $34.6 million and revenue service started June 5. At its opening the Skyway served three stations on its east–west route: Central, Jefferson, and Terminal Station and Convention Center (now LaVilla station) on the Northbank of Downtown Jacksonville. Subsequent extensions were planned to take the Skyway north to Florida Community College at Jacksonville (FCCJ), and then south across the St. Johns River over the Acosta Bridge. Development of these routes began in 1992 and 1995, respectively, but negotiations for a new contract with Matra failed when the previous one expired. In October 1994 Bombardier Transportation was awarded a new contract to revamp the existing east–west segment with new technology and to complete the remaining Phase I extensions.
The system was shut down on December 15, 1996, to replace the former Matra technology with Bombardier equipment; the older cars were sold to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The northbound extension was completed, adding the Hemming Plaza and Rosa Parks Transit Station stops, and the Skyway reopened on December 15, 1997, with service from the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center to FSCJ. The southern segment opened on October 30, 1998, adding service to San Marco Station on Jacksonville's Southbank. On November 1, 2000, the Riverplace and Kings Avenue Stations opened, completing the Southbank segment and Phase I of the Skyway.