Joby Aviation and Toyota Motor Corporation have launched the initial phase of a strategic manufacturing alliance aimed at accelerating commercial production of electric air taxis—an early step the companies say is designed to make “air mobility for all” a practical, everyday reality.

Announced June 30, 2026, the partnership formalizes a new joint venture that will combine Joby’s electric aviation development with Toyota’s production systems and operational expertise. The near-term focus: building the groundwork for commercial production while pushing improvements in productivity, quality, and cost—key factors as the industry moves from prototypes to scaled manufacturing.

What the joint venture is designed to do

According to the companies, the alliance will initially concentrate on:

• Establishing the foundation for commercial production capability
• Advancing manufacturing excellence with an emphasis on productivity, quality, and cost
• Supporting expansion of Joby’s production capacity as it works toward aircraft certification and prepares for anticipated demand

The announcement positions Toyota’s manufacturing playbook—known globally for lean production and continuous improvement—as a lever to help Joby move from development into repeatable, high-quality output at scale.

Why it matters: eVTOLs need scale, not just flight tests

Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have become one of the most closely watched bets in next-generation transportation, but the path to viable air taxi services depends on more than successful test flights. Certification timelines, supply chain readiness, and the ability to produce aircraft consistently (and affordably) are often what separates promising technology from commercial reality.

By forming a joint venture focused on manufacturing readiness, Joby and Toyota are signaling that the next competitive frontier is industrialization—how quickly and reliably eVTOL aircraft can be built to meet safety standards and market demand.

Related Links for Further reading

1. Joby Aviation (official): https://www.jobyaviation.com
2. Joby Investor Relations / News (official updates & filings): https://ir.jobyaviation.com
3. Toyota Newsroom (official): https://www.toyotanewsroom.com
4. Toyota Global (corporate overview): https://global.toyota/en
5. FAA Advanced Air Mobility / Air Taxis (context): https://www.faa.gov/air-taxis

What executives are saying

Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt emphasized the long-running relationship between the companies, calling the joint venture a reflection of shared confidence in the opportunity ahead.

“Toyota has been by Joby’s side for nearly a decade, providing invaluable guidance and support as we built the foundation for manufacturing our aircraft,” Bevirt said. “Together, we share a vision of making aerial mobility an everyday reality.”

Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda framed air mobility as an extension of the company’s broader mission.

“Since our founding, we’ve been guided by the philosophy of providing mobility for all,” Toyoda said, adding that Toyota views air mobility as “a natural extension of that philosophy—from the ground into the sky.”

About the companies

Joby Aviation (NYSE: JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric eVTOL air taxi. The company intends to operate its own air taxi service in cities worldwide and sell aircraft to other operators and partners.

Toyota (NYSE: TM) has operated in North America for nearly 70 years and says it is focused on sustainable, next-generation mobility through Toyota and Lexus brands. Toyota reports nearly 64,000 employees in North America, 14 manufacturing plants, and more than 1,800 dealerships. The company also noted that its North Carolina plant began assembling automotive batteries for electrified vehicles in 2025.

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What to watch for next

For readers tracking the air taxi sector, the next milestones will likely center on:

• Details on how the joint venture will be structured operationally
• Updates on Joby’s certification progress and production ramp timelines
• Signs of how manufacturing improvements translate into cost reductions and throughput
• Additional agreements or expanded collaboration as the alliance progresses

While the companies highlighted expected benefits, they also noted the usual forward-looking risks—such as regulatory certification timelines, market conditions, and the ability to finalize additional agreements.

Source: Toyota Motor North America / PRNewswire (June 30, 2026)

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Whenever I think about Terminal Island, my mind immediately goes back to childhood trips with my parents to San Pedro’s Fisherman’s Wharf. Those visits were some of my favorite family outings. We’d walk along the waterfront while my parents picked up fresh crab, shrimp, fish, and occasionally shellfish. The smells of the ocean, the sound of fishing boats, and the towering presence of the Vincent Thomas Bridge left a lasting impression on me long before I understood the incredible history hidden just beyond the docks.

As a child, I simply saw ships, cranes, and bridges. It wasn’t until years later that I learned Terminal Island had once been home to one of Southern California’s most vibrant immigrant communities—and that much of it disappeared almost overnight during World War II.

Today, Terminal Island stands at the crossroads of history, commerce, and remembrance.

From Sandbar to Strategic Harbor

Terminal Island wasn’t always an island as we know it today. Originally a marshy stretch of land in San Pedro Bay, it was reshaped through decades of dredging and engineering projects that transformed Los Angeles Harbor into one of the world’s busiest ports.

As railroads arrived in the late 1800s, the island became a gateway for commerce. Warehouses, rail terminals, and docks expanded rapidly, laying the foundation for the economic powerhouse that would eventually emerge.

The Village That Built an Industry

In the early 1900s, Japanese immigrants established a thriving fishing village along Fish Harbor.

Families built homes, schools, churches, markets, and businesses while creating a close-knit community unlike any other in Southern California. Many residents came from Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture, bringing generations of fishing knowledge with them.

Their expertise helped build California’s tuna fishing industry into one of the largest in the nation. Long before canned tuna became a pantry staple across America, many of the fishermen of Terminal Island were helping shape the industry that made it possible.

The community even developed its own distinctive blend of Japanese and English known as “Terminal Island lingo,” reflecting the unique culture that flourished there.

A Community Lost

Everything changed after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Within weeks, Terminal Island became the first Japanese American community in the United States to be forcibly removed.

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Residents were given little time to leave their homes.

Many men were arrested first under suspicion simply because of their ancestry. Families were separated. Businesses were abandoned. Eventually, nearly every house in the village was demolished.

For many residents, there was nothing to return to after the war.

Today, the story of Terminal Island serves as a powerful reminder of how fear and prejudice can overwhelm constitutional rights during times of national crisis.

Building Victory

As one community disappeared, another chapter began.

Terminal Island became one of America’s great wartime industrial centers.

Shipyards worked around the clock constructing destroyers, cargo ships, and support vessels for the Allied war effort. Thousands of workers—including many African Americans who had migrated west seeking defense jobs—helped build and repair ships that crossed the Pacific.

The island became a symbol of American industrial strength, contributing directly to victory during World War II.

The Bridge That Became an Icon

In 1963, the opening of the Vincent Thomas Bridge forever changed the harbor skyline.

The graceful green suspension bridge connected San Pedro with Terminal Island, replacing ferry service and improving access to the growing port.

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For many Southern Californians—including myself—the bridge became more than just a transportation link. It was a landmark that signaled you were entering one of the hardest-working waterfronts in America.

Every crossing offered sweeping views of ships arriving from around the world, reminding visitors that Los Angeles Harbor is one of the nation’s most important economic engines.

Terminal Island Today

Modern Terminal Island bears little resemblance to the fishing village that once stood there.

Today it is home to massive container terminals, rail yards, ship repair facilities, Coast Guard operations, federal facilities, and the Federal Correctional Institution. Together with the neighboring Port of Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles moves millions of cargo containers every year, supporting jobs and businesses across the United States.

The island remains essential to global trade while quietly preserving memories of the people who first called it home.

Remembering the Whole Story

Terminal Island is more than an industrial center.

It represents the American dream of immigrants who built thriving businesses through hard work.

It reminds us of the injustice experienced by Japanese American families during World War II.

It showcases the extraordinary industrial effort that helped win a global conflict.

And it demonstrates how one small piece of land helped shape the economy of Southern California and the nation.

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The next time you cross the Vincent Thomas Bridge or see the towering cranes along the harbor, remember that beneath today’s shipping terminals lies a story of resilience, sacrifice, innovation, and hope.

Sometimes the most important history isn’t found in famous landmarks—it lives in the places we pass every day without realizing what came before.

Further Reading & Related Links

• Port of Los Angeles – Harbor Communities: Terminal Island History
• Port of Los Angeles – *Terminal Island: Lost Communities of Los Angeles Harbor*
• Japanese American National Museum (JANM)
• National Park Service – Japanese American Confinement Sites
• LA Waterfront – Japanese American Fishing Village Memorial

🧠 Discover the remarkable innovators, inventors, and trailblazers who helped shape our world but rarely receive the recognition they deserve. Share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe to the STM Daily News newsletter to catch every new Forgotten Genius Friday feature and more inspiring stories delivered to your inbox.

Last Updated on July 12, 2026 by Daily News Staff

Every day, millions of people rely on pedestrian signals to cross busy street safely. A glowing white walking figure, an orange-red hand, and a countdown timer have become familiar sights around the world. While these signals may seem like simple pieces of infrastructure, they are the result of more than a century of innovation, engineering, and public safety improvements.

The modern pedestrian signal did not appear overnight. Instead, it evolved through the contributions of inventors, engineers, city planners, and transportation officials who continually refined traffic control systems as cities grew and automobiles became more common.

The Early Days of Traffic Control

Before electric traffic signals, intersections were controlled by police officers, railway-style semaphores, or even hand signals. As horse-drawn wagons gave way to automobiles in the early 1900s, traffic congestion and accidents increased dramatically, creating an urgent need for better traffic management.

One of the earliest electric traffic lights was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1914. It used red and green lights and was manually operated. While it improved vehicle movement, pedestrians still had to judge for themselves when it was safe to cross.

Garrett A. Morgan’s Breakthrough

One of the most important milestones came in 1923 when inventor and entrepreneur Garrett Augustus Morgan received U.S. Patent No. 1,475,024 for an improved traffic signal.

Morgan’s design introduced a third position in addition to “Stop” and “Go.” This intermediate phase temporarily stopped traffic in every direction before allowing vehicles to proceed. The brief pause reduced confusion at intersections and provided additional time for pedestrians to cross safely.

Morgan reportedly developed his design after witnessing a serious traffic accident. His invention demonstrated how thoughtful engineering could improve public safety while making increasingly busy streets more efficient.

Although Morgan did not invent the illuminated “WALK” and “DON’T WALK” pedestrian signal used today, his three-position signal became a foundational step in the evolution of modern traffic control.

The Birth of Dedicated Pedestrian Signals

As cities expanded after World War II, pedestrian safety became an even greater concern. More people were walking in increasingly crowded downtown districts, and separating pedestrian movements from vehicle traffic became a priority.

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During the early 1950s, several American cities began experimenting with dedicated pedestrian signals. New York City became one of the first major municipalities to install illuminated “WALK” and “DON’T WALK” signs at busy intersections.

These early systems gave pedestrians their own designated crossing phase, reducing conflicts with turning vehicles and improving safety at some of the nation’s busiest intersections.

Standardization Across America

By the 1960s and 1970s, traffic engineers recognized the importance of creating consistent traffic control devices nationwide.

The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) established national standards for traffic signs, pavement markings, and pedestrian signals. Standardized designs helped ensure that pedestrians could understand crossing signals regardless of where they traveled in the United States.

Eventually, words gave way to internationally recognized symbols—a walking person to indicate it was safe to cross and an upraised hand to indicate pedestrians should wait. These symbols transcended language barriers and improved accessibility for visitors and non-English speakers.

The Countdown Era

One of the most significant modern improvements arrived with pedestrian countdown timers.

Rather than simply flashing a warning, countdown displays show exactly how many seconds remain before the crossing phase ends. Research has shown that countdown timers help pedestrians make better crossing decisions and improve compliance with traffic signals.

Today, countdown timers have become standard equipment at intersections across much of the United States.

Accessibility Takes Center Stage

Modern pedestrian signals are designed to serve everyone.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) now provide audible tones, spoken messages, vibrating push buttons, and locator sounds that assist pedestrians who are blind or have low vision. These features allow more people to navigate intersections independently and safely.

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The continued development of accessible technology reflects a broader commitment to making transportation systems inclusive for all users.

The Future of Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian signals continue to evolve.

Many cities now use smart traffic systems that detect pedestrians waiting to cross, automatically adjust signal timing based on traffic conditions, and prioritize people walking during busy periods.

Researchers are exploring artificial intelligence, connected vehicle technology, and sensor-based systems capable of communicating directly with autonomous vehicles. Future pedestrian crossings may adapt in real time to weather conditions, crowd sizes, emergency vehicles, and even the needs of older adults or individuals with disabilities.

A Legacy Built by Many Innovators

The pedestrian signal we know today is the product of more than a century of collaboration and innovation.

Early traffic engineers created the first electric traffic lights. Garrett A. Morgan improved intersection safety with his groundbreaking three-position traffic signal. Transportation agencies standardized traffic control devices, while engineers continued refining pedestrian technology through countdown timers, accessible features, and intelligent traffic systems.

Every safe crossing today reflects the work of countless inventors, planners, researchers, and public officials dedicated to protecting lives.

As cities continue to grow and transportation technology advances, the humble pedestrian signal remains one of the most effective—and often overlooked—public safety innovations ever developed.

At STM Daily News, we celebrate the inventors, engineers, and visionaries whose everyday innovations quietly improve life for millions of people. Sometimes the most important inventions aren’t the ones that grab headlines—they’re the ones we depend on every single day without giving them a second thought.

Related Reading

• Federal Highway Administration – Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
• National Museum of African American History and Culture – Garrett Augustus Morgan
• United States Patent and Trademark Office
• Federal Highway Administration – Accessible Pedestrian Signals
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

🧠 Discover the remarkable innovators, inventors, and trailblazers who helped shape our world but rarely receive the recognition they deserve. Share your thoughts in the comments and subscribe to the STM Daily News newsletter to catch every new Forgotten Genius Friday feature and more inspiring stories delivered to your inbox.

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