Detroit launches new, free electric vehicle shuttle service
(CBS DETROIT) - Detroit's free, autonomous shuttle service started Tuesday and operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
"The Connect" is an autonomous shuttle service with 16 stops to help people get to or near their destination. The service runs from Corktown through downtown Detroit to the East Jefferson Riverfront and back.
"Parking is expensive, so if I can park somewhere cheaper and shuttle on over for cheaper, it saves money and saves gas," said Dana Konieczny, who took a ride on Connect Tuesday.
The shuttle service features four wheelchair-accessible Ford E Transit vehicles as part of its fleet.
"The innovation is here already," said Marcus Glenn of Perrone Robotics, the company behind the vehicles. "There are engineers from all over the world that come here to study and work at some of these places and companies here. There's a rejuvenation that, to me, has been happening for a while now, but it is getting more publicity, and I think this is a great addition to that. To know that this is the largest route of an automation shuttle that there is.
"It's free. Take a ride. Take a ride. You can come on for a stop, or you can take all 16 stops. Why not take a ride if you are down in the city and you see a Connect shuttle near you or on the way?"
"That's great because people have opportunities to get to where they need to get or where they want to go, and it's great the city makes that available for them," added rider Ernestine Hamilton-Worford.
The 10.8-mile route will make stops every 10-15 minutes.
The goal of this pilot program is to achieve a zero-emission public transportation system and set a new standard for sustainable urban mobility in Detroit.
"I've been living in Detroit all my life, and this is a great opportunity for Detroit," said Vera Kidd. "It's free transportation. Come on."