Catherine McGrath

Following a six-month test pilot program that brought autonomous shuttle rides to Zoo Miami, county transportation officials are studying how they might expand the area’s transit options to include AV shuttle technology. 

Funded by a $180,000 grant from the Knight Foundation, the project has a key goal of helping the county determine its long-term transportation plan, said Carlos Cruz-Casas, chief innovation officer at Miami Dade County’s Department of Transportation and Public Works. 

During the test period that ended recently, zoo patrons could enjoy air-conditioned rides from the parking lot to the zoo entrance aboard a driverless shuttle. According to the department, 3,673 passengers took advantage of the free ride.  

“The thing for us is if this is of value to the community,” said Mr. Cruz-Casas, chief innovation officer at DTPW. “And in order to be valuable for us it has to be useful, and we need to understand the public sentiment towards it.” 

Beep, a provider of shared, electric and autonomous mobility vehicles headquartered in Orlando, supplied a Navya manufactured autonomous vehicle for the pilot project at Zoo Miami. The shuttle, which was wheelchair accessible, could accommodate eight seated passengers and had standing room for four more.  

A Beep employee rode with passengers on the shuttle that looked like a miniature version of a city bus. The exterior boasted a purple zebra print, 360-degree windows and displayed Miami-Dade County and Beep logos. 

“People are curious,” said Kyle Pease, the Beep site manager who cruised around in the AV shuttle for six hours each day. His job was to ensure safety remained the No. 1 concern aboard the shuttle while also providing visitors with the opportunity to test out the new technology.  

The shuttle had a fixed route, stopping at multiple convenient locations throughout the parking lot, servicing up to 300 people on Saturdays and Sundays, Mr. Cruz-Casas said. At 3 to 4 miles per hour, the shuttle made a 10-minute loop around the parking lot taking visitors to and from their cars, however, on normal roads it can reach up to 12 miles per hour. 

Although Mr. Pease rode with passengers, the technology exists to have operators supervising the vehicle’s operation remotely through cameras, Mr. Cruz-Casas said. 

The Navya technology combines the use of multiple cameras and what Mr. Cruz-Casas called “lighters,” a lighting detection and ranging system that sends out lasers to millions of points. The lasers help prevent collisions by determining how far away certain objects are. Because of this technology, there have been no incidents of collision or injury, Mr. Cruz-Casas said.  

Local officials are not the only ones looking at the use of autonomous shuttles. Transportation departments already are using self-driving vehicles. Three years ago, Columbus, Ohio, launched what it called “the nation’s first daily-operating public self-driving shuttle” in a residential food-insecure area to give residents access to a grocery store, jobs, services and community centers. 

“The question is how comfortable people will feel understanding and seeing that there’s nobody driving,” Mr. Cruz-Casas said. 

Zoo Miami passengers were asked to submit feedback on their experience through a QR code provided in Creole, Spanish and English on a monitor inside the vehicle. DTPW, which is doing the data analysis to evaluate the community’s need, expects to complete the final report this summer. 

“The data from this pilot will help guide the future of transportation and prepare for changes in the transportation industry,” Mr. Cruz-Casas said.