Feb. 20—Transit officials have run into an old issue when it comes to giving Houston travelers a new way to move around — a months-long delay to deploy a new autonomous shuttle.
After debuting the new computer-controlled bus in December with fanfare, Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said delays in receiving parts and various "warranty issues" with the bus have delayed on-street testing until March. The first passengers will not likely hop aboard until weeks later, perhaps April or May.
Less than two months ago, officials said they hoped to have testing begin and be ready for passengers by the end of February, but final checks on the bus required working with the manufacturer — similar to how anyone buying a new car has a window of time to report flaws to the dealership and get them repaired.
"It's no different than how we treat other vehicles that come into Metro's fleet, as we have a robust set of procedures that have to be followed," Metro spokeswoman Tracy Jackson said in an email. "We just needed to wait for someone from the manufacturer to address the issues with the base vehicle... There are no issues with the automation."
It is the latest delay among a handful that have stalled the much-lauded test of autonomous shuttles in Houston. In 2019 officials tested a smaller shuttle at Texas Southern University, but then halted the test when operators reported issues with the shuttle in other locations.
Metro rebooted its program last year, planning to merge autonomous technology with an existing 15-passenger, ADA-compliant electric bus. That vehicle has been cruising within a Metro bus depot, but has been waiting on the repairs to hit the street for testing.
Once deployed, the shuttle will start testing around the TSU and University of Houston campuses. Shuttles will act as a circulator around the universities and to the Eastwood Transit Center near interstate 45 and Lockwood. Eastbound, the route will follow mostly Alabama, Scott, Wheeler and Spur 5. Westbound, shuttles will go down Lockwood, Elgin, Cullen, Wheeler, Cleburne and Sampson.
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