Doris and Jerry McNamara and their grandchildren were among those who participated in the Milo autonomous shuttle's 100th public demonstration event on June 28, 2018.
Doris and Jerry McNamara invited their grandkids out on Thursday for an unforgettable ride experience in Arlington's Entertainment District - but it wasn't at a theme park.
Instead, the McNamaras and their four grandchildren booked a free ride on Milo, the City of Arlington's driverless shuttle. The family climbed aboard the cheery red autonomous shuttle for a smooth trip up and down the Richard Greene Linear Park trail near Texas Live! and Globe Life Park.
"It's kind of like a Disney ride but there's no track," said Doris McNamara, an Arlington resident of 40 years. "It's cool."
Thursday was a special day for the City of Arlington's autonomous shuttle pilot program, which rolled out last August. The day marked the City's 100th event to both test the driverless shuttles in a real-world environment and help familiarize the public with autonomous vehicle technology.
Jordan Graham, 22, said she was nervous at first to ride on Milo with her grandparents and siblings. But the recent college graduate from Fort Worth was quickly put at ease after learning about the shuttle's numerous safety features, including a high-tech collision avoidance system and the certified operator who rides onboard.
Graham said Arlington's pilot program could help people become more comfortable with the idea of autonomous vehicles one day navigating city streets.
"It makes me proud of Texas and Arlington," Graham said.
In addition to public demonstration events, the Milo shuttles operate approximately one hour before and one hour after major events at AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Park in Arlington. The shuttles are programmed to run along select off-street trails in Richard Greene Linear Park and Robert Cluck Linear Park between the two venues and will pick up and drop off passengers at designated stops.
The City will soon transition to on-street testing of autonomous vehicles, with service anticipated to be available in the Entertainment District for the general public this coming fall. Milo will be available for rides through August 2018.
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