Taxi-Like and Microtransit AV Pilots

US sees on-demand AV expansion with taxi- and transit-like pilots

Big news! California has granted Waymo permission to operate AVs without a safety driver, but, for now, only in the Palo Alto area and only for free. Waymo must request permission to charge a fare for AV service in California. This permit will not only enable Waymo to go truly backup-driverless in California, but it will also boost Waymo's credibility if the company wants to expand elsewhere. In fact, Waymo is also about to begin experimenting with charging fares for AV ridehailing in Arizona. Waymo continues testing in California, Arizona, Washington, Michigan, Texas, and Georgia.

Meanwhile, free AV shuttle service is going well in the entertainment district of Arlington, TX, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This service is used to shuttle people on game days for the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers, and other events. The North Texas Council of Governments (NTCOG) will be spending "$1.5 million for its cities to have planning assistance ahead of autonomous vehicle deployment. Total funding up to $10 million for the actual programs would follow." The Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Transportation Council, a part of the NTCOG, is also involved, with its own AV 2.0 plan. This AV 2.0 is not yet posted on either the NTCOG website or on the RTC webpages.

International on-demand, small AV taxi-bots 

Tel Aviv AV ridehailing service announced for 2019. New Mobility will be VW cars using Mobileye technology. If AVs can operate on roads with crazy Israeli drivers, which means all Israeli drivers, then they are ready for anywhere. Though the service is self-described to include Mobility as a Service (MaaS), there is nothing to indicate an actual MaaS platform such as FlexDenmark or Whim, which operates in Finland. [MaaS is generally thought to be of as a coordinated technology platform for delivering transportation choices across all modes. This can be done on a per ride, monthly, or even an annual basis.]

In Finland, in March 2019, an AV shuttle will be piloted with passengers in Helsinki. The shuttle bus is touted to be an all-weather vehicle that can handle snow.

First-mile/last-mile solutions to retrofit for sprawl may use AV transit or shared-use private transportation pods that seat up to four passengers. The video shows a pilot in Milton Keynes, a UK city in England, of AV pods available on demand via an app. The company manufacturing the AV pods is Aurrigo. FYI: The pilot just ended after a successful seven months.

Up to 15 pods – capable of travelling up to 15 miles per hour and lasting up to 60 miles from one charge – have been operating in the city centre from Central Railway Station. There are plans for the pods to continue to operate in the city, with a service being offered to residents in the near future.

Advertised in the video above is the independence-enhancing aspect of the mobility-on-demand AV pods for some people with disabilities. Showcased is an individual who is blind. What goes unmentioned is that the vehicle appears not to be accessible to people with wheelchairs and other mobility-related disabilities.