The Grand Rapids Autonomous Mobility Initiative will bring four May Mobility six-seat, electric shuttles to the streets of downtown Grand Rapids from March 2019 to March 2020.
Photos courtesy May Mobility
3 min to read
The Grand Rapids Autonomous Mobility Initiative will bring four May Mobility six-seat, electric shuttles to the streets of downtown Grand Rapids from March 2019 to March 2020.
Photos courtesy May Mobility
Nine Michigan companies and the City of Grand Rapids have come together to form a unique coalition that will place autonomous vehicles on city streets in March 2019. The Grand Rapids Autonomous Mobility Initiative is the next big step to prove that civic infrastructure can support the ever-evolving, ever-expanding operational capabilities of the rapidly approaching autonomous vehicle market.
The Grand Rapids Autonomous Mobility Initiative will bring four May Mobility six-seat, electric shuttles to the streets of downtown Grand Rapids from March 2019 to March 2020. This first-of-its kind coalition brings together enterprise and infrastructure to gather and analyze critical information to understand the usage of autonomous vehicles and their environments. The fleet will operate complementary to the city’s existing DASH transportation fleet. Shuttles will be free for riders.
Ad Loading...
Consisting of companies including May Mobility, Consumers Energy, Faurecia, Gentex, Rockford Construction, Seamless, and Steelcase, and public organizations including the City of Grand Rapids and Start Garden.
The Grand Rapids Autonomous Mobility Initiative will operate on a 3.2-mile section of the city’s existing DASH West bus route, which provides access to both downtown Grand Rapids and the city’s West Side and Heartside business districts. The route includes 22 stops, 30 traffic lights and 12 turns, including three left turns. As a commuter-driven service, the DASH West provides connectivity to more than 10 city-owned parking lots and points of interest that include David D. Hunting YMCA, Kendall College of Art & Design, Grand Rapids Children's Museum, Van Andel Arena, and Bridge Street Market.
“Across the U.S., cities are seeking cost-effective, safe, and reliable transportation services that will improve congestion and convert cities into more livable and green spaces. Self-driving shuttles are a great solution,” said Edwin Olson, founder and CEO of May Mobility. “As we strive to make transportation is more accessible and convenient, we’re thrilled to be working with the City of Grand Rapids and partners to accelerate a path toward a future where the people of Grand Rapids can drive less and live more.”
The Grand Rapids Autonomous Mobility Initiative will operate on a 3.2-mile section of the city’s existing DASH West bus route, which provides access to both downtown Grand Rapids and the city’s West Side and Heartside business districts.
The Grand Rapids Autonomous Mobility Initiative will focus on three areas during its operation:
Feasibility: Little research has been done on the impact of mobility on our cities, yet every change in transport technology has transformed them. The autonomous vehicle initiative is designed to gain insight and understand how it impacts existing urban structures.
Accessibility: Address how autonomous vehicles improve or impact mobility for the elderly and people with disabilities, and explore solutions around design of interiors and the urban environment to facilitate accessibility.
Community: Prepare the local community and neighborhoods for the effects of autonomous mobility. This is a priority for the initiative and will include open sessions for community stakeholders for community visioning, goal setting, plan making, and recommendations for public investments.
Ad Loading...
The coalition’s approach will include partnering with developers, urban planners, accessibility experts, and community stakeholders to understand their needs and design solutions that will build trust and capability with the autonomous technology created by May Mobility.
Today’s riders—and the communities you serve—expect more from public transit. While ADA compliance is required, leading transit agencies know that true accessibility also means delivering dignity, efficiency, and a better rider experience. This whitepaper reveals why forward thinking agencies nationwide choose the Low Floor Frontrunner as their first choice for ADA compliant vehicles—setting a new standard with passenger first design, faster boarding, improved safety, and unmatched operational performance.
Under this extension, Keolis will continue to manage and operate fixed-route bus service across the East Valley, serving communities including Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, the town of Gilbert, parts of Phoenix, and the Gila River Indian Community.
Through the strategic partnership, MOIA America will provide MOIA’s turnkey autonomous mobility solution. This includes purpose-built, autonomous-ready ID. Buzz vehicles equipped with the self-driving system developed by Mobileye, as well as operator training and enablement.
LexRide connects key destinations, including Downtown Lexington, the Distillery District, and the Warehouse Block/National Avenue area, making it easier to explore without worrying about parking, traffic, or multiple rideshare trips.
Sustainability Partners’ Arnold Albiar discusses how a service-based approach is helping airports and public agencies deploy and manage electric fleets more efficiently.
The expanded service builds on Pace’s growing On Demand network and is intended to improve access to destinations such as medical appointments, schools, shopping, employment centers and connections to the regional transit system.
An important part of the authority’s NextGen Bus Network, MARTA Reach will bring transit service directly to the rider’s location and offer a seamless link to the broader rail and bus system.
