First Transit signs exclusive partnership for autonomous vehicle innovation, research

First Transit signed an agreement as the exclusive transit operator partner at GoMentum Station, which will foster research and innovation in the field of shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) application and technology research.

First Transit will join GoMentum Station and use the facility as a test site for innovative transit applications, including a pilot project with EasyMile and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) to deploy the first SAV shuttle on public roads in the U.S. The pilot project, which began in late 2016, recently launched the second phase of testing at Bishop Ranch, an office park in San Ramon, Calif.

The contractor is responsible for providing staffing, maintenance, and operational support for the two SAV shuttles during the testing and deployment phases of the program.

“The partnership with GoMentum Station allows us to identify new mobility solutions for our customers using SAV technology,” said Brad Thomas, president of First Transit. “We see the broad application of SAV technology as a great first and last mile solution plus countless other transportation challenges.”

GoMentum Station in Concord, Calif., is a 5,000-acre test facility where the CCTA and its partners are accelerating the next generation of transportation technologies. Named by the U.S. Department of Transportation as one of 10 federally designated automated vehicle proving grounds, GoMentum Station is the largest secure test track of its kind.