DECEMBER 2018/JANUARY 2019 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 19
Las Vegas on the move
Keolis and NAVYA launched a
fully autonomous electric shuttle
pilot program in November 2017
to operate on open roads in Las
Vegas, Nev. Th is self-driving electric
shuttle is the fi rst autonomous
public transit vehicle in North
America to be fully integrated
into an open road with mixeduse
traffi c. Additionally, the Keolis
shuttle is helping to make Las
Vegas a “smart city” by communicating
with traffi c signals, which
improves safety and helps to realize
effi ciencies in traffi c fl ow.
Th e Keolis autonomous shuttle is
equipped with LiDAR technology,
GPS, cameras and safety belts. It
is designed to communicate with
traffi c signals, operate on open
roads and navigate around pedestrians
and other moving traffi c.
Keolis, NAVYA and the American
Automobile Association
(AAA) partnered with the city
of Las Vegas and the Regional
Transportation Commission of
Southern Nevada (RTC) to launch
a downtown autonomous shuttle
route connecting local commuters
and visitors to multiple retail,
business and transit locations in
the Freemont Innovation District.
In addition to studying how
the shuttle interacts in a live traffi
c environment in downtown Las
Vegas, AAA surveyed riders to
understand why many consumers
remain wary of driverless technology
and whether a personal experience
changes their perception.
Th e surveyed riders to date indeed
showed skepticism before riding
the shuttle, but that sentiment
almost instantly changed once
they utilized the shuttle service.
To date, more than 32,000 people
have traveled on the autonomous
shuttle in downtown Las Vegas.
Creating sustainable
mobility
At the 2018 Consumer Electronics
Show (CES)—recognized as the
world’s largest technology innovation
show - Keolis partner NAVYA
introduced the fi rst fully autonomous
taxi in North America,
AUTONOM CAB. Th e all-electric
powered AUTONOM CAB
is an intelligent transport service
designed for private or shared
trips for up to six passengers in
urban centers. Users can order an
AUTONOM CAB through a dedicated
smartphone application and
open and close the vehicle’s door
via the application.
Th e move toward incorporating
technology for sustainable
mobility options can also be seen
in the Greensboro Transit Authority’s
(GTA) plan to replace 48
vehicles in its bus fl eet with electric
Proterra buses. Keolis will be
operating GTA’s fi xed-route bus
and paratransit services starting
in January 2019 as electric Proterra
buses start to replace vehicles in
the bus fl eet. By March 2019, 14
electric buses will be in operation,
while the city aspires eventually to
have a fully-electric fl eet.
Canada in transit
In August 2018, Keolis Canada
and partner NAVYA launched
the fi rst long-term demonstration
project of an all-electric autonomous
shuttle operating on public
roads in Candiac, QC, Canada.
Th e autonomous shuttle will
spend 12 months (including four
months of a research and develop-
THE AUTONOMOUS
shuttle will
connect
commuters to
retail and transit
hot spots.
ment project to test the shuttle in
Quebec’s cold weather conditions
without passengers on board)
operating in the city of Candiac
(south shore of Montreal) on a
2-kilometer route on public roads
mixed with traffi c.
Like all NAVYA AUTONOM
shuttles, the vehicle does not have
a steering wheel or pedals. It is designed
to operate on a predetermined
route at urban traffi c speeds
with frequent stops to accommodate
high-traffi c pedestrian areas
and connect with other transit
center facilities.
One of the main objectives
of integrating the autonomous
shuttle into urban areas is to
ease public transit by providing
the interconnection between the
shuttle and the bus terminal to
take employees to their workplaces
and visitors to their destinations.
Th e shuttle also includes
additional stops such as the city
hall, retirement housing and an
array of local businesses.
Th e Keolis Shuttle is supported
by the Quebec government,
the Technopôle IVEO and Propulsion
Quebec, the Cluster for
Electric and Smart Transport.
Th e prospect of gaining critical
insights into extending service,
maintaining harmony between
other vehicles on the road and
understanding public acceptance
By the
Numbers
IN LAS VEGAS
More than
32,000
riders since
November 2017
IN GREENSBORO
48
bus fleet to be
replaced with
electric buses
/MassTransitmag.com