The Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority along with autonomous shuttle mobility provider Beep Inc. are collaborating on a six-month autonomous shuttle pilot project in the city of Orlando, Florida.
The pilot, called shuttling with autonomous navigation (SWAN), is designed to provide Orlando with data and learnings to guide its transportation strategy on shared, electric and autonomous vehicles. The overall goal is to enhance the quality of life for residents and improve public transportation.
“With the expansion of autonomous vehicle shuttles into our neighborhoods, we can converge cutting-edge technology with new mobility solutions to further redefine the way our community moves,” said Buddy Dyer, mayor of Orlando. “The SWAN Shuttle builds on our diverse network of mobility options and furthers our commitment to our residents, our environment and our future.”
How it works
The city of Orlando said that autonomous shuttles will carry passengers on a continuous loop from Lynx Central Station through Creative Village on the existing LYMMO Orange bus lane during off-peak hours. The pilot will run from August through April of 2024 and if successful could be expanded throughout the city into areas such as SODO or Ivanhoe Village.
The SWAN shuttle will run seven days a week along the one mile, five stop route and will pass through Luminary Green Park, Parramore and Electronics Arts, servicing both residents and businesses.
Beep has long been testing autonomous shuttles. The company has partnered with Mobileye and Benteler EV Systems on fully electric shuttles to be deployed across North America. Prior to that Beep:
- Tested shuttles at Yellowstone National Park
- Started a ride-share service in Arizona
- Created a driverless shuttle fleet with Local Motors