Independent ride-hailing and shuttle service providers May Mobility and TransitTech are launching wheelchair-accessible minivans in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
Via, which started as an on-demand transportation service before founding Remix, and May have partnered for years to plug gaps in public transit systems with EVs. They’ve deployed services in Arlington, Texas, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, so the rural Minnesota town has identified a new city for May Mobility’s operations.
In April, the startup announced plans to partner with BraunAbility to make the Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS (S-AM) vehicles wheelchair accessible. The Grand Rapids project will mark both the first deployment of ADA-compliant autonomous vehicles in the U.S. and the first commercial operation of Sina’s in May.
When May’s service begins Wednesday, anyone within the 17-square-mile service area that covers most of the small rural city of Grand Rapids will be able to book free, on-demand and shared rides from one of the five Sienna AVs. Using the May Mobility app. Riders without a smartphone can call 211 to book a ride.
May/Via service is designed to supplement public transportation solutions, not replace them, so it operates on weekdays and weekends when other options are not available. Specifically, the shuttles operate from Tuesday to Friday from 2am to 10pm, Saturday from 10am to 10pm and Sunday from 8am to 2pm.
Through an AI-based booking and routing algorithm, it helps drivers moving in the same direction merge into one vehicle while moving between more than 70 pick-up and drop-off locations. Those places are identified based on the way people move, as well as input from the community – places. Restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, churches and fitness centers. And the wheels don’t just follow a predetermined path to each destination. They will go where there is driver demand and increase traffic conditions to find the best routes, May’s spokesman said.
According to May and Via, the shuttles are equipped with SAE Level 4 autonomy, which means that they can drive in certain situations without the need for a person to take over. That is, if it is necessary to manually control the human safety operator in each vehicle. For example, May still requires operator approval at unguarded turns, and operators may take unguarded turns in low-visibility conditions, a May spokesman said. Visibility problems and inclement weather may require a human safety operator to take over for other driving duties.
“Working in winter climates like Grand Rapids allows for more learning around autonomy,” May Mobility CEO Edwin Olsen told TechCrunch. “May Mobility’s vehicles can withstand cold weather and navigate winter challenges such as snow drifts. Depending on the level of snow accumulation or failure, we may choose to have independent vehicle operators take over to ensure maximum safety for our drivers and everyone in contact with our vehicles.
May 2016 It said it hopes to start rolling out operations by 2023 and will continue to roll out Sinana in other cities next year.
Earlier this month in Munich, Germany, Via launched a fleet of hybrid AV and on-demand shared vehicles. While there are only two autonomous electric vehicles built by France’s Easy Mile, the fleet is set to expand by 2023, according to Via.
