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The 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala (EEA), hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in Washington, D.C., brought together leading engineering firms from across the country to recognize projects demonstrating exceptional innovation, technical achievement, and community impact.
This year’s event was especially meaningful for WGI as members of our team attended the national gala and were recognized for their role in one of the country’s most groundbreaking transportation initiatives. WGI earned a National Recognition Award for our work on the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s (JTA) Ultimate Urban Circulator (U²C) Bay Street Innovation Corridor (BSIC) and the Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC), a transformative project helping redefine the future of urban mobility.
The national recognition builds upon the project’s growing list of industry honors, including an ACEC Florida Engineering Excellence Grand Award and an IPMI Awards of Excellence Honorable Mention, further reinforcing WGI’s commitment to advancing innovative transportation solutions.
WGI’s award-winning work on JTA’s U²C Bay Street Innovation Corridor stood out for its ability to integrate advanced autonomous vehicle technology with practical, scalable urban infrastructure, establishing a national model for the future of connected transit systems.
As the largest urban autonomous vehicle transit corridor in the United States, the project transforms a key downtown corridor into a connected, multimodal transportation system that integrates autonomous vehicles, advanced Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), adaptive traffic signals, ADA-accessible stations, and dedicated communications infrastructure.
Supporting the system is the Autonomous Innovation Center, a centralized operations hub designed for fleet management, electric vehicle charging, maintenance, and long-term system expansion.
Together, the corridor and facility establish a scalable framework for the future of autonomous urban transit while enhancing safety, accessibility, and connectivity throughout Downtown Jacksonville.
WGI’s integrated approach helped balance innovation with operational reliability, creating infrastructure capable of supporting autonomous mobility within an active urban environment while prioritizing safety, accessibility, and long-term resilience.
Events like the Engineering Excellence Awards not only recognize technical achievement, but also highlight the critical role engineering plays in shaping stronger, more resilient communities. From advancing next-generation transportation systems to improving accessibility and connectivity, projects like the U²C Bay Street Innovation Corridor demonstrate the meaningful impact infrastructure investment can have on everyday life.
Receiving recognition at the national ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards highlights the project’s significance as a model for future autonomous transit systems and reinforces its impact within the engineering community nationwide.
A First-of-Its-Kind Autonomous Transit Corridor
The Bay Street Innovation Corridor represents the first phase of JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator (U²C) program, an ambitious initiative designed to modernize mobility throughout Downtown Jacksonville through autonomous transportation technology.
As the largest urban autonomous vehicle transit corridor in the United States, the project transforms a key downtown corridor into a connected, multimodal transportation system that integrates autonomous vehicles, advanced Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), adaptive traffic signals, ADA-accessible stations, and dedicated communications infrastructure.
Supporting the system is the Autonomous Innovation Center, a centralized operations hub designed for fleet management, electric vehicle charging, maintenance, and long-term system expansion.
Together, the corridor and facility establish a scalable framework for the future of autonomous urban transit while enhancing safety, accessibility, and connectivity throughout Downtown Jacksonville.
WGI’s Role in Delivering the Vision
As lead infrastructure designer and architect for the project, WGI partnered with JTA, Balfour Beatty, Beep, Miller Electric Company, and Superior Construction to help deliver this groundbreaking autonomous transit system. Through a Progressive Design-Build-Operate-Maintain (PDBOM) delivery approach, WGI provided transportation engineering, multimodal coordination, architectural and facility design, permitting, and infrastructure planning services that supported both current operations and future system expansion.
Engineering a Safer and More Connected Future
Beyond the technical innovation, the U²C Bay Street Innovation Corridor demonstrates how modern infrastructure can positively impact the communities it serves. Adaptive traffic signals and connected vehicle technology are designed to improve traffic flow and enhance situational awareness for both transit operators and roadway users. Intelligent monitoring systems and hybrid ITS infrastructure help support safer operations while reducing visual clutter throughout the streetscape. The corridor’s ADA-compliant stations and multimodal improvements create a more accessible and welcoming environment for residents, visitors, and commuters of all abilities. By prioritizing walkability and connectivity, the project contributes to a more human-centered downtown experience. The Autonomous Innovation Center also strengthens the system’s resilience through advanced electric vehicle charging infrastructure, battery backup systems, and a solar-powered microgrid designed to support operational continuity during power disruptions. Collectively, these features position the project as a national model for how autonomous mobility can be integrated into existing urban environments in a safe, sustainable, and scalable way.Recognizing Collaboration and Industry Leadership
The ACEC Florida Engineering Excellence Awards Gala provided an opportunity for WGI's associates to celebrate this achievement alongside clients, partners, and fellow industry leaders whose collaboration contributed to the project’s success.