Future Arlington RAPID Pilot Program Among City’s Latest Efforts to Enhance Regional Mobility

By Office of Communication

Posted on May 19, 2020, May 19, 2020

As soon as next spring, Via Rideshare customers could be picked up in self-driving vehicles for trips around Downtown and The University of Texas at Arlington. The City of Arlington was recently awarded a $1.7 million grant through the Federal Transit Administration’s Integrated Mobility Innovation Program to integrate autonomous vehicles into its on-demand rideshare service.

This one-year pilot program, called Arlington RAPID (Rideshare, Automation, and Payment Integration Demonstration), is set to begin in March 2021. This pilot program aligns with the City Council priority to Enhance Regional Mobility by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Arlington’s transportation connections within and beyond the city limits. Through its partnership with Via, May Mobility and UTA, the City also plans to add a wheelchair-accessible autonomous vehicle as well as provide a limited number of free rides to university students during the pilot program.

You can learn more about Arlington RAPID pilot program and other mobility improvements, including an update on Collins Street between Interstate 20 and Mayfield Road, in the latest edition of the Enhance Regional Mobility newsletter.

All quarterly City Council priority newsletters are now produced in a digital formal, allowing for layers of additional video content and important links.

Also in this issue:

• Arlington to Receive Federal Funding to Help Via, Handitran during Shutdown
• Citywide Street Projects and Updates
• Collins Street Improvements
• East Second Street, Kelly Terrace Improvements
• Via Service making College Possible for TCC students
• UTA research on Plastics as Road Material
• Handitran Update
• Via Rideshare Update