You can now ride a driverless vehicle to lunch in Brooklyn

JTA is testing its autonomous mass transit system with stops at 14 lunch spots in the Brooklyn neighborhood.

The testing is part of the agency’s plans to launch its Ultimate Urban Circulator autonomous transit system Downtown in June 2025. For now, the Brooklyn AV Circulator is running from the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center in LaVilla to eight existing and new JTA stops along Riverside Avenue.

Passengers can catch a free ride to 14 different lunch spots. The service began Tuesday and runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 25.

The restaurants are Panera Bread, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Burrito Gallery, Vale Food Co., BurgerFi, First Watch, The Fresh Market, Vista Brooklyn, Plenti, The Greenhouse, Anejo Cocina Mexicana, Arepa Please, Boost Smoothie and Tossgreen.

JTA is providing the service using the EV Star Passenger Van, a fully electric vehicle with a range of up to 150 miles. The EV Star, made by the 14-year-old GreenPower Motor Co. in California, is a zero-emissions van with 14 seats and two wheelchair locking points. A JTA attendant will be present in the vehicle.

JTA plans to use a different vehicle when the Ultimate Urban Circulator — known as U2C — launches next summer. Construction will begin soon to modify the first 3.2-mile stretch of Bay Street where 12 to 15 driverless electric people movers will carry commuters.

When done, the 10-mile Bay Street Innovation Corridor would extend from North Pearl Street to the sports and entertainment district around EverBank Stadium and include the Four Seasons hotel under construction now. It then would expand later to existing overhead Skyway guideways to San Marco and Riverside, according to JTA.

The first phase’s funding includes a $12.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, $13 million from the Florida Department of Transportation, $1 million from the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and $22.5 million from JTA, which also is providing in-kind services for work.

JTA is also building an Autonomous Innovation Center at Bay and Jefferson streets where the entire system will be monitored.

For more information on the Ultimate Urban Circulator, go to u2c.jtafla.com.

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