First Transit has announced that it has signed an agreement as the exclusive transit operator partner at GoMentum Station. The partnership will foster research and innovation in the field of shared autonomous vehicle (SAV) application and technology research.
First Transit will join GoMentum Station and use the facility as a test site for innovative transit applications, including a pilot project with EasyMile and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) to deploy the first SAV shuttle on public roads in the United States.
This pilot project, which began in late 2016, recently launched the second phase of testing at Bishop Ranch, an office park in San Ramon, California. First Transit is responsible for providing staffing, maintenance and operational support for the two SAV shuttles during the testing and deployment phases of the program.
“The partnership with GoMentum Station allows us to identify new mobility solutions for our customers using SAV technology,” said Brad Thomas, president of First Transit. “We see the broad application of SAV technology as a great first and last mile solution plus countless other transportation challenges.”
GoMentum Station in Concord, California, is a 5,000-acre test facility where the CCTA and its partners are accelerating the next generation of transportation technologies. Named by the U.S. Department of Transportation as one of ten federally designated automated vehicle proving grounds, GoMentum Station is the largest secure test track of its kind.
“As a leader in innovative transportation solutions, we are proud to have First Transit as one of our exclusive collaboration partners at GoMentum Station,” said Randell Iwasaki, executive director of CCTA. “The partnership with First Transit expands the international reach of GoMentum Station, and will provide a unique opportunity for multi-modal testing with a firm that specializes in transit operations. This will enable us to explore how automated vehicles can complement and enhance existing mobility options.”
