As the rollout of autonomous shuttles expands across the U.S., these vehicles are increasingly being used to improve mobility on college campuses.
This week alone saw the announcement of new deployments by Beep at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) and the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), as well as Florida State University at Jacksonville (FSCJ)’s Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA).
UNC Charlotte
Beep and NCDOT are conducting a six-month pilot program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to demonstrate autonomous and electric shared mobility solutions.
North Carolina Department of Transportation and Beep begin testing autonomous shuttles
© Beep
This is Beep’s second project with NCDOT as part of the Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation (CASSI) program, which aims to enable NCDOT and university faculty and students to research and evaluate autonomous driving in a real-world campus environment.
“We are pleased to welcome this award to the University of Charlotte,” said Doug Lape, associate vice chancellor for business services at UNC Charlotte.
The goal of this pilot is to introduce autonomous technology to the campus community and provide insight into how and where this and similar platforms may be utilized on campus in the future. Our partnership with NCDOT and Beep has made this opportunity a reality at UNC Charlotte.
During the trial, the autonomous shuttle will travel a 2.2-mile route connecting the Pop Martin Student Union, Greek Village, academic buildings, residence halls and the main campus light rail station on the LYNX Blue Line.
Financial Services Committee
Meanwhile, in Florida, the JTA and FSCJ announced a new program to test self-driving cars on downtown college campuses.
Jacksonville Transit Authority (JTA) autonomous electric shuttle
© Jacksonville Transit Authority
This autonomous electric vehicle service will connect the Center for Advanced Technology, the Dean’s Office and the cafeteria along a one-mile route, enhancing travel between these divided areas of campus.
“FSCJ is pleased to welcome the 2019 EPA Award to the EPA,” said FSCJ President Dr. John Avendano.
FSCJ is excited to continue building a strong relationship with JTA as we look toward a future where innovation knows no bounds. This partnership will enable our automotive technology students to be at the forefront of the rapidly evolving industries of autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence by integrating these technologies into our academic programs.
The project is part of JTA’s Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) program, which aims to validate various applications of autonomous vehicles ahead of the launch of the Bay Street Innovation Corridor in 2025.
