Need a lift? Self-driving shuttles now making their way through downtown Rochester

This month the Minnesota Department of Transportation — in partnership with the City of Rochester, Mayo Clinic, and others — began a soft launch of the “Med City Mover,” a 12-month pilot program designed to test the effectiveness of autonomous vehicles in a live-action setting.

The program is the first of its kind in Minnesota, with transit officials paying special attention to how the shuttles hold up in a range of weather conditions. The vehicles had been scheduled to go live in 2020, before the pandemic forced organizers to temporarily put the brakes on the program.

In anticipation of a public kick-off event later this month, here are four things to know about the electric, self-driving shuttles:

The nuts and bolts

The fareless shuttles — and there will be two of them once the program is fully operational — run simultaneously along a 1.5-mile route down Center Street, Third Avenue SW, Sixth Street SW, and Broadway.

There are two stops — one to the north near Methodist Hospital and another to south outside of the People’s Food Co-op. Pick-ups are approximately every 10 minutes, with hours eventually going to 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

The shuttles can hold up to six passengers at a time. Passengers must remain seated with a seat-belt on. Masks are also required.

Safety features built in

While the vehicles are fully autonomous, there will be an attendant on board the shuttles at all times. According to MnDOT’s Mike Dougherty, the purpose of the staffed supervisors is two-fold: safety and education.

“They are there to ensure that if any situation should arise, they can attend to it, whether there’s an emergency stop or a collision — a vehicle hits the shuttle,” said Dougherty. “But they are also well-versed in the vehicle itself. So, their secondary role is to answer any questions that people may have.”

To further ensure safety, the vehicles travel at a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour. They rely on sensors to scan for risks along the way, while constantly collecting data to learn what to look out for along the route.

“They have mapped and continue to map the routes, so they know what fixed elements are along that lane,” said Dougherty. “But if there is something that comes into closer proximity, it will start slowing down … not significantly, but enough so that it does have to stop at some point.”

Drivers: be patient

During the 12-month pilot period, Dougherty urges drivers to be patient as the shuttles navigate through downtown. He noted the two longest legs in the route — Broadway and Third Ave — are only a few blocks long and that both stretches have two lanes to allow for safe passing.

“If you’re coming up on it and you want to get past it, use your left lane to safely go around it — and give it space, just like you would a bicyclist or another vehicle,” said Dougherty.

Shaping the future

While autonomous vehicle programs have been tested elsewhere in Minnesota — such as Nicollet Mall during Super Bowl LII — this marks the first time they will be used in an open, non-closed course setting.

Further making this pilot distinct is that most other self-driving tests across the country have been in sunny, dry environments.

“As winter approaches, that’s another element that the folks are interested in — just how these shuttles work in winter elements,” said Dougherty.

As the program continues for the next year, riders will be encouraged to provide feedback through a QR survey form at the two stations.

With the possibility of more self-driving vehicles making their way into cities across the country, Dougherty said Rochester has an opportunity to mold the future of autonomous mobility.

“We have a chance here to help shape how this technology goes — and who knows, someday we may see something that is fully operational that is used here on a regular basis, and people can say they had a sliver of a role in helping shape the real deal,” said Dougherty.

Sean Baker is a Rochester journalist and the founder of Med City Beat.