Autonomous Shuttles and Buses: From Demonstrations to Deployment

This chapter presents information on automated shuttles and buses, which are being piloted, demonstrated, and deployed in downtown areas, university campuses, business parks, entertainment complexes, and other areas. The chapter focuses on the presentations and discussions at a breakout session at the 2020 Automated Vehicle Symposium (AVS). The session and this chapter highlight the experience planning, procuring, operating, and evaluating automated shuttles and buses to help inform future decision-making. Many projects were on hold in 2020 as a result of the pandemic, or pivoted to food delivery or other alternate uses. Areas for additional research and ongoing information sharing are also summarized.