In May, Austin’s CapMetro successfully tested an autonomous bus, a key step toward more affordable public transit infrastructure.
Last month, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) in Austin, TX, in coordination with the WSP, tested North America’s first fully automated 40-foot electric transit bus. The bus, upgraded to drive itself (Level 4 autonomy), successfully navigated a bus yard on its own, avoiding obstacles, parking precisely, and even starting a charging session under a pantograph without any driver assistance. The demo showed how autonomous technology can make electric bus operations safer, more affordable, and more efficient.
According to WSP,
Early testing has revealed that this technology can increase yard capacity by 80-to-90 percent, creating valuable space to build additional facilities or sell land parcels for additional revenue. Furthermore, the system has the ability to reduce trip time by an average of six-to-eight minutes due to operators not having to walk in the yard, find their vehicle and drive to the security gate after performing their pre-trip inspections, creating further savings for agency operations.
With this pilot, CapMetro and WSP are looking ahead to a future where buses can drive, charge, and prepare for routes on their own — something other countries are also testing. This technology could completely reinvent how public transportation is handled, greatly increasing efficiency and redefining the frequency and quality of services offered by local government.
