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First Transit to pilot autonomous vehicle passenger shuttle

The AV passenger shuttle will run a fixed-route stopping at designated stops within an office park. The pilot will begin with two vehicles — each with a customer service agent onboard for passenger questions and information.

December 6, 2016
First Transit to pilot autonomous vehicle passenger shuttle

 

1 min to read


In partnership with EasyMile, First Transit announced the first autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger shuttle pilot in North America at the Bishop Ranch Office Park in San Ramon, Calif. The shuttle will connect tenants to multiple transit options including bus, bike and car-sharing services.

The AV passenger shuttle will run a fixed-route stopping at designated stops within the office park. The pilot will begin with two vehicles — each with a customer service agent onboard for passenger questions and information.

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The AV passenger shuttle is designed to travel short distances using pre-programmed routes. Each passenger shuttle is equipped with a sensor and intelligent vehicle system to detect obstacles and avoid collisions. Each shuttle can carry 12 passengers and can operate for 14 hours on a battery charge.

First Transit is also providing onsite personnel to provide maintenance for the AV passenger shuttles at a facility provided by EasyMile.

The Bishop Ranch Office Park has 585 acres with 30 buildings, and is home to more than 550 of the world’s leading companies, including Chevron, General Electric, and Toyota.

The pilot is scheduled to launch this month.

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