Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), as part of its Rhode Island Transportation Innovation Partnership (TRIP), recently began testing autonomous-vehicle technology.
The first vehicle was demonstrated last week at the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown and tested all week on the park’s roads. Similar tests will be conducted in Providence this spring.
A total of 500 miles of testing will be conducted.
The vehicles, called Little Roady Shuttles, were provided by May Mobility. The shuttles can carry five passengers and an attendant and are fully electric.
RIDOT entered into a public-private partnership with May Mobility last year. During the first year of operation, RIDOT will contribute $800,000. The funding is from a grant awarded as part of a settlement with Volkswagen and from Federal Highway Administration federal research funds.
TRIP’s goal is to study technology adoption, ridership, environmental impacts, workforce impacts and autonomous mobility solutions. The state will use TRIP’s discoveries to provide information to policymakers, the workforce, and communities and to improve transportation.
TRIP partner agencies include the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, the Quonset Development Corporation and the City of Providence.
Several universities and colleges are expected to join TRIP’s research.