For the seventh straight year, WGI is proud to announce that the firm has been honored with an American Council of Engineering Companies of Florida (ACEC-FL) Engineering Excellence Grand Award in the Transportation category; this year for our transformative work on the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) Ultimate Urban Circulator (U²C) Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC) and the Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC).
This prestigious recognition celebrates WGI’s role as lead infrastructure designer and architect on this significant project that is redefining urban mobility and establishing the largest urban autonomous vehicle (AV) transit corridor in the United States.
Presented annually, the ACEC Florida Engineering Excellence Awards recognize projects that demonstrate exceptional engineering achievement, innovation, complexity, and positive societal impact. Being selected in the Transportation category places WGI among Florida’s most accomplished infrastructure leaders and positions the project for advancement to the national ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA).
A First-of-Its-Kind Transportation System
Delivered as the first phase of JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator (U²C) program, the three-mile Bay Street Innovation Corridor represents a bold reimagining of Downtown Jacksonville’s primary east-west corridor.
Designed as a fully integrated, multimodal autonomous transit system, the corridor incorporates:
- Twelve modern, branded autonomous vehicle stations
- Adaptive traffic signals and connected-vehicle technology
- Advanced Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
- Comprehensive ADA and mobility enhancements
- A dedicated private 5G communications network
Together, these elements form a cohesive transportation ecosystem designed to support safe, reliable, and scalable autonomous transit in a dense urban environment.
At the operational core of the system is the Autonomous Innovation Center, a 7,500-square-foot facility that serves as the command hub for AV fleet management, electric vehicle charging, maintenance operations, and command-and-control functions, supporting both daily service and long-term system expansion.
WGI’s Transportation Leadership
As lead infrastructure designer and architect, WGI worked in close partnership with JTA, design-build contractor Balfour Beatty, and key partners Beep, Miller Electric Company, and Superior Construction, utilizing a Progressive Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (PDBOM) delivery model.
This progressive approach enabled early collaboration, real-time decision-making, and seamless coordination across disciplines; an essential factor in delivering a first-of-its-kind autonomous transit corridor.
WGI’s Transportation team led the development of infrastructure solutions that balanced innovation with operational reliability, including:
- Corridor-wide transportation design supporting autonomous vehicle operations
- Integration of AV movements within active urban traffic conditions
- Multimodal coordination to enhance safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users
- Design strategies supporting long-term scalability and future expansion
In addition, WGI delivered final design and construction documents, led architectural, structural, civil, and MEP design for the Autonomous Innovation Center, and secured all required construction, building, and environmental permits for both the corridor and facility.
Early engagement allowed the team to conduct ongoing constructability reviews, phase procurement strategically, and proactively manage risk, critical to meeting aggressive schedules and operational milestones.
Innovation Rooted in Safety, Sustainability, and Resilience
The Bay Street Innovation Corridor demonstrates how advanced transportation engineering can improve safety and performance while enhancing the public realm.
Adaptive traffic signals, connected-vehicle technology, and AI-enabled monitoring systems improve traffic flow, pedestrian safety, and system oversight. Hybrid ITS/light poles minimize streetscape clutter while supporting communications, lighting, and smart infrastructure functions.
Universally designed, ADA-compliant stations improve accessibility, visibility, and security, ensuring the system serves users of all abilities.
The Autonomous Innovation Center further strengthens system resilience through:
- State-of-the-art EV charging infrastructure
- A solar-powered microgrid
- Battery backup systems that maintain operations during power disruptions
Designed with flexibility in mind, the facility supports future corridor expansion without near-term rework, maximizing return on public investment and ensuring long-term operational value.
Delivering Meaningful Community Impact
Beyond its technical achievements, the U²C Bay Street Innovation Corridor delivers lasting benefits to the Jacksonville community. As the largest city in the continental United States by land area, Jacksonville serves as one of the best locales for this type of project.
By transforming an auto-oriented corridor into a walkable, human-scale streetscape, the project enhances access to downtown destinations, supports economic development, and improves quality of life for residents, workers, and visitors. Serving thousands of daily users, the system establishes the foundation for more than 10 miles of future autonomous transit expansion across the city.
The project also achieved critical cost efficiencies while meeting all federal grant requirements, operational deadlines, and performance benchmarks, demonstrating that innovation and fiscal responsibility can go hand in hand.
A National Model for the Future of Transportation
As the nation’s first autonomous vehicle-powered public transit corridor, the JTA U²C Bay Street Innovation Corridor stands as a powerful example of how progressive delivery, advanced technology, and integrated design can converge to create safer, more resilient, and people-centered transportation systems.
This ACEC Florida Engineering Excellence Award underscores WGI’s commitment to pushing boundaries, embracing emerging technologies, and delivering infrastructure solutions that strengthen communities and shape the future of urban transportation.
Looking Ahead
WGI is honored to receive this recognition from ACEC Florida and is proud of our expert Transportation team, whose leadership and collaboration made this achievement possible.
As the U²C program continues to expand and autonomous mobility becomes an increasingly vital component of urban transportation networks nationwide, WGI is excited that this project now advances to the ACEC National Engineering Excellence Awards, where it will compete for the prestigious Grand Conceptor Award, the nation’s highest honor for engineering achievement.
This milestone underscores WGI’s commitment to helping clients navigate complexity and deliver forward-thinking solutions that are innovative, resilient, and impactful on both local and national scales.
Contact Us
To learn more about WGI’s award-winning transportation solutions and how our multidisciplinary expertise can help bring your next project to life, reach out to our team today.
Whether you’re exploring next-generation mobility systems, autonomous transit integration, or complex infrastructure projects, WGI has the experience and vision to deliver innovative, sustainable, and impactful results.
