ANALYSIS:
Las Vegas Autonomous Shuttle Test Program
Pursuant to the City Commission's request to explore launching a similar driverless mass transit test program in Miami Beach, Transportation Department staff reached out to City of Las Vegas and Keolis who operates the pilot program. Based on information provided by the City of Las Vegas staff, the current program will be in effect for a year (until November 2018). The test shuttle vehicle is owned and operated by Keolis, and while current program in Las Vegas operates at no cost to the City, shuttle operating and maintenance cost is estimated to be approximately $45,000 per month, said cost is being fully subsidized by AAA.
The shuttle service operates eight (8) hours a day/six (6) days a week (Tuesday through Sunday), from 11AM-7PM, with multiple pick-up and drop-off locations along the route. The shuttle operates in mixed traffic and the test vehicle is equipped with air conditioning. The test vehicle is able to operate a full day of service with fully charged batteries and no need to re-charge.
Based on staff's conversations with Keolis, the capacity of the test shuttle vehicle is 11 passengers seating plus up to 4 standing passengers; however, due to liability and insurance requirements, standing is currently not allowed inside the test vehicle. Although the autonomous shuttle currently operating in Las Vegas is not ADA accessible, it was allowed to operate as a prototype vehicle in a test environment as part of the demonstration program. The manufacturer is working on designing an ADA accessible shuttle that will be available in the near future.
From an operational perspective, while the shuttle is fully autonomous, one (1) Keolis staff member must always be present on board the test vehicle. Additionally, to decrease the likelihood of the test vehicle being rear-ended, a second Keolis staff member in a separate vehicle must continuously follow the test vehicle during service hours. While the test vehicle is able to operate at higher speeds, the maximum operating speed is limited to 15 MPH for safety and liability reasons.
University of Michigan Autonomous Shuttle
During the Fall of 2017, driverless shuttle service was launched at the University of Michigan's North Campus to transport students, faculty, and staff along a nonstop two (2) mile route between the Lurie Engineering Center and the university's North Campus Research Complex. Similar to the Las Vegas autonomous shuttle program, this service also uses autonomous vehicles manufactured by Navya. This shuttle service operates on university roads during service hours and at no cost to riders. Two (2) shuttles operate at approximately 10 minute service frequency. Transportation Department staff has reached out to University of Michigan and is currently gathering information regarding the cost of the service and other pertinent information on this particular program.
Other Autonomous Shuttle Test Programs
While staff has been able to reach out to City of Las Vegas and obtain information on its autonomous shuttle test program, more time is needed to conduct a more thorough investigation of various pilot programs throughout the country, including City of Arlington, Texas and Minnesota Department of Transportation. These two (2) pilot programs are all using an autonomous shuttle vehicle supplied by EasyMile (see Attachment B for vehicle photo) rather than Navya.
Potential Pilot Corridors in Miami Beach
Transportation Department staff preliminarily evaluated corridors in the City which could be considered for potential autonomous mass transit shuttle service. Given the low operating speed of the vehicle, this service could serve as a pedestrian accelerator and trolley connector along corridors not currently served by the City's Trolley service. Based on staff's preliminary assessment, the following corridors could be considered for potential implementation of an autonomous mass transit shuttle test program in the City:
- Meridian Avenue between 1st Street and Lincoln Road
- Collins Avenue between South Pointe Drive and Lincoln Road
- Ocean Drive between 1st Street and 15th Street
It is important to note that the Administration is currently in the process of procuring an on-demand transit service to serve low demand areas not currently served by the City's Trolley service. The proposed on-demand transit service is anticipated to connect to the City's Trolley service and operate at no cost to the City or passengers. The Administration anticipates awarding a contract to the selected contractor in May 2018. The corridors listed above could potentially be served by the proposed on-demand transit service potentially at no cost to the City.
While staff has been able to reach out to City of Las Vegas and obtain information on its autonomous shuttle test program, more time is needed to conduct a more thorough investigation of various pilot programs throughout the country, including City of Arlington, Texas and Minnesota Department of Transportation. These two (2) pilot programs are all using an autonomous shuttle vehicle supplied by EasyMile rather than Navya.
Financial Information
From a cost perspective, deployment of one (1) test shuttle vehicle would cost approximately $700,000 for one (1) year of pilot testing. This cost would include leasing one (1) Navya shuttle for one (1) year at a cost of $135,000, plus $45,000 per month for operation, insurances, one (1) trailer vehicle, and the required Keolis personnel (2 people). An option could be to purchase the autonomous shuttle for approximately $263,000. Under that scenario, the cost to the City would be approximately $800,000 for the first year of pilot testing. To help subsidize the City's cost of a pilot program, the Administration could explore potential partnership opportunities, including allowing exterior advertising/branding on the pilot vehicle.
Should the City Commission choose to move forward with implementation of an autonomous mass transit shuttle test program in the City, funds would need to be identified as part of the ongoing FY 2018/19 budget process.