HIGHLIGHTS
CITY OF ARLINGTON LAUNCHES FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND , ON- DEMAND SELF-DRIVING SHUTTLE SERVICE WITH RAPID
PROGRAM ( Continued from Page 1 )
“ The City of Arlington continues to be at the forefront of transit innovation , building on the launch of one of the nation ’ s first microtransit systems with a self-driving vehicle platform that is fully integrated into the public transit network ,” said Daniel Ramot , co-founder and CEO of Via . “ We are proud to expand Via ’ s long-term relationship with the City as we offer residents an exciting new way to use public transportation .”
May Mobility is providing the fleet of five autonomous vehicles , which is comprised of four hybrid electric Lexus RX 450h vehicles that can carry up to three passengers and one Polaris GEM fully electric vehicle that can carry one wheelchair passenger . While the vehicles are self-driving , a trained Fleet Attendant will be in the driver ’ s seat at all times to ensure safe operations and to provide customer service for riders .
Doug Garner , coach of the Movin ’ Mavs wheelchair basketball team , said he believes many of his players will use this service .
“ We have some players who do not have vehicles ,” Garner said . “ This will be a valuable service for them to use . Sometimes they have to get from one side of campus to the other quickly . The RAPID service will come in handy in those cases .”
The RAPID service area is generally bounded by Division Street to the north , Mary Street to the east , Mitchell Street to the south , and Davis Drive to the west . Riders traveling to and from destinations in this service area can book and pay for rides through the Via app or by calling Via ’ s customer service line at 817-784-7382 . Via ’ s standard fares apply to rides taken on RAPID by the general public . Because of UTA ’ s participation in the pilot program , UTA students can ride the RAPID service for free .
Greg Hladik , UT Arlington director of parking and transportation , said the autonomous vehicles offer students another mode of transportation to get around campus and downtown Arlington . “ This is an exciting program for the University and we will add it to the menu of transportation options that our students enjoy ,” Hladik said . “ I ’ m sure it will be a popular option among students who have embraced these new modes of transportation in the past . We look forward to working with the city , Via and May Mobility in this new transportation endeavor .”
Researchers from the College of Engineering , College of Architecture , Planning and Public Affairs and the Center for Transportation Equity , Decisions , and Dollars are also contributing to the project . According to Sharareh Kermanshachi , Principal Investigator for the research team , “ The research is focused on assessing and comparing rider perceptions before , during and after the RAPID project to examine potential gaps in existing and new services , recommend strategies to overcome potential challenges of the AV system , and remove adoption barriers for an enhanced ridership experience .”
“ Downtown Arlington is the perfect place for demonstrating the proven technology and rider benefits of RAPID ,” said Maggie Campbell , President and CEO of Downtown Arlington Management Corporation . “ Downtown Arlington measures only about one square mile but has an abundance of small and medium-sized businesses , popular locally-owned restaurants , cultural destinations , residential communities , plus UT Arlington along the southern edge . All these assets generate strong demand for hyper-local movement within our district , particularly during the day . Commuters and locals alike want on-demand mobility to go to lunch , host meetings at different venues , grab coffee , or meet friends after work . They also want to park and re-park as little as possible , and they are savvy users of on-demand and rideshare technology . Downtown Arlington is ready to take RAPID for a ride !”
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