Colorado Accelerates AV Uptake With Shuttle Service

Greg Hyde

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31st January 2019

Colorado has become the latest state to trial a ‘last-mile’ autonomous vehicle shuttle service within a limited area.

For the next four to six months, EasyMile will use electric AVs to ferry commuters between Denver’s 61st and Peña train station and its own and Panasonic’s offices in the city. The rides will be operated as a 15-minute loop by Transdev and be provided free of charge. No human back-up driver will be on-board but Transdev says it will provide an “ambassador” for the service.

The pilot has been approved by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Colorado Autonomous Vehicle Task Force (CAVTF). Mayor of Denver Michael B Hancock claimed he was “excited to see how driverless technology will work in Denver and to embrace new, innovative, and better mobility options to move more people and improve travel for residents and visitors alike”.

Denver Regional Transportation District CEO Dave Genova boasted that the pilot would allow his organization “to interface directly with an AV demonstration and assess how this technology can be applied in a transit setting to meet the future mobility needs of the people and communities we serve”.