I tried the first self-driving public transit in the United States - and now I'm excited for the future of travel

Advertisement
I tried the first self-driving public transit in the United States - and now I'm excited for the future of travel

navya arma shuttle

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

Advertisement

I may have come to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, but there was one other thing I knew I had to do while I was there - I needed to ride the downtown Las Vegas shuttle, the first-ever driverless public transit test program in the country.

Since its launch in November 2017, the shuttle has given 10,000 riders a free lift around a little, 0.6-mile stretch of downtown Las Vegas. The program was co-created by AAA and a French transportation company called Keolis, with the actual shuttle built by a self-driving car startup called Navya ARMA.

Complimentary Tech Event
Transform talent with learning that works
Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

On my last day in Las Vegas, I trekked up to Container Park, where the shuttle loop begins and ends. And after my short, ten-to-fifteen minute ride, I have to say: If this is the future of public transit, sign me up.

Advertisement