Executive Director/CEO
Michael J. Blaylock, Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville
Transportation Authority (JTA), is regarded as a leading transportation
expert throughout the United States and has served in a number
of local, state and national leadership roles. In addition, his
global expertise will serve well in completing nearly $1 billion
in roadway projects over the next decade and the implementation
of a regional transportation system, inclusive of redesigning
the fixed route system, implementation of inter-county transit
services and associated transportation hubs, a bus rapid transit
system, redesign of the downtown trolley system, construction
of a new Skyway fixed guideway station to be located in the Brooklyn/Riverside
area and a regional multi-modal transportation center adjacent
to the Prime Osborn Convention Center.
Blaylock is the sixth executive director in the Agency's 52-year
history, which has constructed over 400 miles of roadways and
11 bridges, including the award winning Dame Point Bridge, a two-mile
cable-stayed bridge.
Blaylock is also regarded as a visionary who is poised to lead
the Agency into the next generation of transportation options
for the future. Extensive planning studies are underway to explore
the feasibility of utilizing the St. Johns River as the next "highway
corridor", utilization of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
to enhance roadway capacity, regional commuter rail and exploration
of managed lanes to support the rapid bus transit system, which
offers interested motorist the same option of faster travel on
congested roadways through electronic payment. The Agency is also
exploring what is considered "next generation" roadway projects
beyond the Better Jacksonville Plan that will be critical to keeping
the entire First Coast region mobile for a growing commuter and
commercial travel market over the next 50 years.
Blaylock joined JTA in December 1982. Much of his duties at
that time involved managing the Authority's capital program. Two
years later he was promoted to assistant manager for transit operations
and continued until November 1987 when he assumed responsibility
as the Authority's Mass Transit Director. Later, Blaylock was
promoted to the Agency's Deputy Executive Director before assuming
his current role of Executive Director/CEO in 2002.
Blaylock's professional credentials include: Vice chairman of
the Strategic Planning Advisory Committee for the Florida Department
of Transportation; Member of the Intelligent Transportation Society
of America; former president of the Florida Public Transportation
Association (FPTA-'96) and graduate of Leadership Jacksonville
and Leadership Florida. His community involvement includes: Jacksonville
Super Bowl 2005 Host Committee Member; President of the Jacksonville
Chapter of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials
(COMTO); Board member of the Regional Chamber of Commerce; Board
member of the Jacksonville Urban League; Advisory Board member
of the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) and Board
of Trustee member for Bethel Baptist Institutional Church.
A native of Jacksonville, Michael and his wife, Patricia, have
three sons and one daughter. He received his Bachelors Degree
in Public Administration with a minor in business from the University
of North Florida. He continued his graduate studies at the University
of North Florida as well as professional development training
at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
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