Capital Metro to Test AV Technology July 23 – August 5

Capital Metro will start testing autonomous vehicle (AV) technology on Monday, July 23 beginning at midnight. The testing phase is expected to end on Sunday, Aug. 5. Vehicle safety, street signalization and the efficiency and performance of battery technology will be examined during this evaluation period. The public will not be able to board the autonomous vehicles during the testing phase, and Capital Metro is asking people to keep a safe distance from the vehicles and leave the testing crews undisturbed, to ensure safe operations. In addition to analyzing the vehicles themselves, RATP Dev USA (a Capital Metro service provider) and the vehicle manufacturers will work with city officials to test signal components and on-street performance. Capital Metro anticipates the selected pilot vehicles will be in operation later this fall. The vehicles are expected to be in service, picking up and dropping off customers, for a period of 12 months. During this pilot period, the overall customer experience, safety and the public’s reception of autonomous vehicles will be evaluated. The vehicles will serve the Central Library and City Hall providing easy connections to other transit services at Downtown Station and Republic Square. Currently, the transit agency is planning a five- to seven-minute frequency of service during the pilot. Capital Metro will not incur any expenses during the demonstration and testing phase, which is being financed by RATP Dev USA. Final costs of the pilot will be determined after bids are submitted during the procurement process. Catching a ride on the autonomous vehicles will be free to customers during the pilot. To help offset operating expenses, Capital Metro will explore partnerships for the pilot program.