Jacksonville Skyway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Automated people mover | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Status | Operational | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locale | Jacksonville, Florida | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Termini |
Convention Center (west) Kings Avenue (south) Rosa Parks Transit Station (north) |
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Stations | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Daily ridership | 5,000 passengers (2015 estimate) |
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Operation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Opened | 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operator(s) | JTA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Character | Elevated | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Line length | 2.5 mi (4.0 km) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Number of tracks | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Track gauge | Monorail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electrification | Third rail | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Operating speed | 35 mph (56 km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Jacksonville Skyway is a people mover in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is an automated monorail train operated by the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA). Opening in 1989 with three stations in Downtown Jacksonville, the Skyway was extended in 1996 following a conversion from its original technology to Bombardier Transportation equipment. It was expanded again in 1998 and 2000. The system currently comprises two routes across 2.5-mile (4.0 km) of track, serving eight stations, and crosses the St. Johns River on the Acosta Bridge. There is currently no fare to ride the Skyway, which had 1.2 million passengers in 2014.
The Skyway runs on an elevated two-way monorail track. The 2.5-mile (4.0 km) 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 Convention Center station, and the other going south over the river and terminating at Kings Avenue station on the Southbank.
The system has used two car and control systems since its creation. From 1989 to 1996 it had a system designed by Matra using its VAL 256-type rubber-wheeled technology. This ran only on the 0.7-mile (1.1 km), 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 and 2 VAL cars were sold to O'Hare International Airport Transit System. In the current system, vehicles run on beams 34 inches (86 cm) wide and 28 inches (71 cm) deep, fixed on an 11-foot (3.4 m) wide guideway with parapet walls. Each train is automated by Automatic Train Control (ATC), can have two to six cars, and travels at up to 35 mph (56 km/h) per hour.