Autonomous shuttles debut at Rossmoor senior living community
"Future" was the word of the day at the Rossmoor senior living community Thursday, as new driverless shuttles whisked passengers around the gated neighborhood.
The shuttles, operated by Florida-based company Beep Inc., debuted for a one-year pilot program in which the Contra Costa Transportation Authority will test how suitable autonomous vehicles are as a form of public transit.
As the boxy shuttles, called PRESTO, arrived at Rossmoor's Gateway Clubhouse, they brought a bit of excitement to some of the Rossmoor residents who attended the launch.
Steve Passek, who has lived in the community for six months, said that he felt as though he was living in one of the science fiction books he read when he was younger. Leanne Hamaji, the Rossmoor Board of Directors president, said the launch was reminiscent of the 1964 World's Fair, where driverless cars were touted as futuristic technology.
And in front of a screen declaring that "The future of transportation has arrived at Rossmoor," Newell Arnerich, the CCTA board chair and a longtime Danville councilmember, congratulated the agency's executive director Tim Haile, for spearheading the project.
"He has been in the future, reaching back to pull us all along," Arnerich said.
But the shuttle, at least in the short term, is more reminiscent of a regular bus route. During the pilot, it runs on a preprogrammed route between the community's fitness center and the clubhouse on a preset schedule from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. It even has an operator, too, that helps the shuttle maneuver.
But the goal of the is to not be an immediate portal to the future. According to representatives from Beep and CCTA, the pilot's purpose is to get data and get people familiar with the technology before expanding it to an on-demand, ride hail-like service down the road. The shuttle tops out at just 12 mph, which helps to ensure safety while Beep can work out any kinks in service, according to Joe Moye, the company's CEO.
"You walk before you run with these technologies," Moye said.
However, being a metaphorical guinea pig for the shuttle service didn't bother Passek, who described himself as an autonomous vehicle enthusiast who was awaiting the technology to come to his Tesla car. He said his wife was already sharing pictures of the little green and blue shuttles driving around town.
"We're actually very proud that Rossmoor is involved in this," Passek said. "We're sort of on the cutting edge."
Harvey Johnson, a 12-year Rossmoor resident, echoed Passek's sentiment, saying that the community was lucky to be chosen for the pilot.
"The Bay Area has had front row seats as far as the development of autonomous vehicles," Johnson said.
Johnson caught one of the prelaunch rides in the shuttle last month, describing it as "uneventful" and "fun."
On that first ride, Johnson said a fellow passenger demanded, in disbelief that the shuttle was navigating by itself, that the shuttle's operator raise their hands and prove they weren't driving.
The operators still have a bit to do, however. Kellen Young, one of the shuttle's operators, said that the shuttle required operators to manually authorize it to traverse crosswalks, verifying there were no pedestrians first.
But more importantly, the operators were there to do educate passengers throughout the ride, according to CCTA and Beep officials. Haile likened them to operators on early elevators, there to soothe passengers' nerves on the new technology moreso than to operate the system.
When the one-year pilot runs out, as does the $7.5 million dollar grant from the Federal Transit Administration that subsidizes it, Johnson wished the service would stick around in Rossmoor. Johnson said the shuttle should work in partnership with the neighborhood's existing bus service, but was unsure of exactly what that would look like.
Haile, the CCTA executive director, said he wasn't familiar with Rossmoor's bus service, which allows riders to order pickups by phone. But he said he expects the small shuttles to navigate narrow residential streets that larger buses can't.
But Haile repeatedly emphasized that the pilot would help Contra Costa County learn what the little green shuttles can do, and what they can't.
"It's not just fun and games," he said. "It's because we are trying to improve safety on our roadways."