The Regional Transportation District (RTD) in Colorado debuted its autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle on Tuesday, Jan. 29. The EasyMile autonomous shuttle is expected to operate for the next four to six months.

According to RTD, this was the first on-road deployment of an AV shuttle not only in Denver, but the state of Colorado.  

“We’re excited to see how driverless technology will work in Denver and to embrace new, innovative and better mobility options to move more people and improve travel for residents and visitors alike,” says Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock, who was one of several in attendance for a ribbon cutting and ride aboard the shuttle.

The shuttle, which will be operated by Transdev for the RTD, will travel along a new route called 61AV, serving people who park and live near the 61st and Peña commuter rail station free of charge.

The primary goal of the project is to evaluate the viability of autonomous services in providing first and last mile connections to and from transit.

“RTD is pleased to participate in this groundbreaking partnership to explore how innovations in mobility are creating new and expanded opportunities for public transportation,” says RTD CEO and general manager Dave Genova.

“The 61AV partnership allows us to interface directly with an autonomous vehicle demonstration and assess how this technology can be applied in a transit setting to meet the future mobility needs of the people and communities we serve.”

The shuttle will run on a predetermined route Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., making a complete loop every 15 minutes. The vehicle won’t have a driver, but it will have an ambassador—provided by Transdev—onboard at all times to help answer questions and make sure that passengers and operations are safe.

This autonomous vehicle demonstration project is approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the newly-formed Colorado Autonomous Vehicle Task Force for six months of operations. Project partners will share the data collected on usage and operability amongst themselves to improve future deployments and bring autonomous services into wider usage.