The City of Arlington is committed to managing its infrastructure and technology investments to advance the future of mobility for people, goods and services. Deploying autonomous vehicle technology in real-world environments is one way Arlington has demonstrated its leadership on this issue.

Arlington RAPID Program

The City of Arlington was awarded a $1.7 million grant through the Federal Transit Administration’s Integrated Mobility Innovation Program to integrate a fleet of five autonomous vehicles into its Via on-demand rideshare service. This one-year pilot program, called Arlington RAPID (Rideshare, Automation, and Payment Integration Demonstration), operated from March 2021 to March 2022. Based on the success of this service, RAPID continues to operate in the City of Arlington. The City works with Via, May Mobility, and the University of Texas at Arlington to implement this AV service in an area around Arlington’s Downtown and on UTA’s campus.  The autonomous fleet includes a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, and the program provides reduced fare rides to UTA students. Click here for more information about the RAPID program.

Previous Autonomous Vehicle Projects

In October 2018, Arlington became the first Texas city to offer an on-street driverless transportation option to the general public with partner Drive.ai. The company’s vehicles operated on streets within Arlington's world-class Entertainment District, using an on-demand system to connect passengers with employment centers, restaurants, entertainment venues, and public recreational spaces. After conducting over 760 trips and logging more than 440 miles in autonomous mode, the successful pilot program concluded in May 2019. According to a survey of riders, 98 percent said they felt safe and 91 percent said they thought their ride was smooth.

This type of innovative transportation technology isn't new for The American Dream City. In 2017, Arlington became the first city in the United States to offer continuous autonomous shuttle service to the public, with the Milo pilot program. Using EasyMile autonomous vehicles, this program operated off-street in the Entertainment District, connecting passengers from parking areas to Arlington’s entertainment venues. The program served over 110 events, and 99% of surveyed riders reported feeling safe and enjoying their ride on Milo. Click here for more information about the 2017-2018 Milo autonomous shuttle pilot program.

For more information, please contact Ann Foss, Principal Planner, at 817-459-6678.