City Of Arlington Rolls Out Self-Driving Shuttle Service

If you order a ride in Arlington, a self-driving car may come to pick you up.

The city of Arlington launched the pilot program RAPID - Rideshare, Automation and Payment Integration Demonstration - this week. Rides can be ordered through the Via app from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

One of four hybrid Lexus RX 450h SUVs or a wheelchair accessible electric Polaris GEM will take riders to downtown or the University of Arlington. While the cars are self-driving, an attendant will be behind the wheel to make sure trips go smoothly.

Self-driving cars for rent is nothing new. Google's Waymo is driving customers around in Arizona and Lyft is testing out something something similar in select markets. However, RAPID is the first to use self-driving vehicles as part of a city's public transit system.

“The city of Arlington continues to be at the forefront of transit innovation, building on the launch of one of the nation’s first microtransit systems with a self-driving vehicle platform that is fully integrated into the public transit network,” said Daniel Ramot, co-founder and CEO of Via. “We are proud to expand Via’s long-term relationship with the city as we offer residents an exciting new way to use public transportation.”

Riders will be charged up to $5 depending on how far they go, the Dallas Morning News reported. UTA students will be able to ride for free since the university and city are working together on this pilot program.

Photo: City of Arlington