WGI Wins IPMI Award for Excellence-Honorable Mention For Jacksonville Transportation Authority U²C Bay Street Innovation Corridor Project

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — WGI Inc. has received an Award for Excellence – Honorable Mention from the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI) for its multidisciplinary work on the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) Ultimate Urban Circulator (U²C) Bay Street Innovation Corridor.

The award was given in the category of Innovation in a Mobility, Transportation, or Parking Program – Innovation & Technology. 

“We are honored to receive this recognition from IPMI for a project that is helping to redefine the future of urban mobility,” said Jacob Gonzalez, PE, Vice President – Client Solutions at WGI.  “The U²C program demonstrates how innovative infrastructure, technology integration, and thoughtful urban planning can work together to create safer, more sustainable, and more connected communities.”

The recognition highlights WGI’s role in helping deliver one of the nation’s most ambitious autonomous transit initiatives, including the design and implementation of the Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC), a first-of-its-kind facility supporting the operation, maintenance, and expansion of Jacksonville’s emerging autonomous vehicle (AV) transit network. The U²C Bay Street Innovation Corridor represents the first phase of JTA’s long-term transformation of Jacksonville’s aging Skyway monorail system into a modern autonomous transit network designed to improve mobility, accessibility, and connectivity throughout Downtown Jacksonville.

Located in Downtown Jacksonville, the Autonomous Innovation Center serves as the operational hub for the autonomous transit system. The facility integrates advanced fleet operations, maintenance bays, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, vehicle washing systems, and a sophisticated real-time control center into a centralized campus designed specifically for autonomous mobility operations.

WGI provided prime leadership on the project, serving as the owner’s design and project management partner and offering multidisciplinary expertise supporting the project’s planning, design coordination, infrastructure integration, and implementation. The project required extensive collaboration among transportation planners, engineers, architects, technology partners, contractors, and public agencies to successfully align rapidly evolving AV technologies with complex infrastructure and operational requirements.

The facility was designed with scalability and future expansion in mind, including provisions for integration with the elevated Skyway system and future phases of Jacksonville’s autonomous transit network. Its infrastructure supports an all-electric fleet and incorporates sustainable features, including 126 rooftop solar panels designed to help power facility operations.

The project also reflects a forward-looking approach to resilient infrastructure and urban redevelopment. By supporting cleaner, quieter, and more flexible transit services, the U²C program is intended to reduce dependence on personal vehicles, improve access to jobs and services, and encourage transit-oriented development throughout Downtown Jacksonville.

The project team utilized a progressive design-build-implementation approach that enabled simultaneous design, procurement, and construction activities while accommodating evolving autonomous vehicle technologies and strict federal compliance requirements, including Build America Buy America (BABA) standards. A key component of the facility’s architectural and construction strategy was the use of precast concrete systems that streamlined construction, enhanced quality control, and provided long-term durability while allowing flexibility for future system modifications and expansion.

The Phase 1 Bay Street Innovation Corridor represents an overall investment of approximately $65 million, including corridor improvements, intelligent transportation systems, advanced communications technologies, and the development of branded autonomous transit stations throughout the corridor.

The IPMI Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding achievement and innovation in parking, transportation, and mobility projects worldwide.

About the Jacksonville Transportation Authority

Jacksonville Transportation Authority is an independent state agency serving Duval County, Florida, responsible for public transportation and mobility solutions throughout the Jacksonville region. JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator program is advancing the future of autonomous public transportation through innovative transit technologies and infrastructure investment.

About WGI

Founded in 1972, WGI is an award-winning national design and professional services firm leading in technology-based solutions for the construction of public infrastructure and real estate development. With 23 offices throughout the United States, the firm is a leading provider of civil engineering services, electrical engineering, environmental consulting, geospatial and land surveying, planning, landscape architecture, MEP engineering services, new mobility, parking solutions, restoration engineering, structuring engineering, subsurface utility engineering, transportation engineering, water resources, architecture, and project delivery. WGI can be found online at wginc.com.