GAINESVILLE, Florida – Starting Feb. 3, Gainesville residents will be able to board an autonomous shuttle for test rides between downtown Gainesville and the University of Florida campus. The shuttle will be operated by the City of Gainesville’s Regional Transit System (RTS) and has been funded by the Florida Department of Transportation.

The pilot project is part of the I-STREET real-world testbed, a partnership between the University of Florida Transportation Institute (UFTI), the Florida Department of Transportation, and the City of Gainesville. The testbed provides unique opportunities for testing transportation technologies and allows innovative research to be developed and deployed throughout the city and the UF roadway network.

The autonomous shuttle will operate on a daily fixed route along SE 2nd Ave. between the parking garage on SW 2nd St. and UF Innovate│The Hub from 8 a.m. to noon and again between 3 -7 p.m. Funding from the Florida Department of Transportation will allow all passengers to ride the shuttle free of charge.

Because the shuttle is still in its testing phase, an operator will be on board in the event an override of the controls becomes necessary. The shuttle will operate until June 30, 2020. The UFTI, a unit of the UF Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, will be conducting an evaluation study, funded by UF, to document traveler experiences and behaviors.

To learn more about UFTI and I-STREET, visit https://www.transportation.institute.ufl.edu/research-2/istreet-about-us.