Autonomous Shuttle Service Up and Running in Brooklyn

Self-driving shuttles are now operating in the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, reports Katie Pyzyk. "The free service, which includes six autonomous shuttles, will run seven days a week to transport passengers between the NYC Ferry stop at Dock 72 and the Cumberland Gate. The service is expected to accommodate 16,000 passengers a month."

Optimus Ride is the AV technology company behind the service. It launched a shuttle service in Reston, Virginia, earlier this year and has plans to start operations in Fairfield, California, and in Boston.

The vehicles will be operating on private roads in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. "Performing controlled AV testing close to or within urban areas is a lower safety risk than allowing them on public roads with a lot of obstacles," writes Pyzyk. It is also an opportunity, she notes, to highlight successful operations and gain much-needed public support for AV technology.