According to an assessment of two North Carolina pilot projects, low-speed autonomous shuttles have too many limitations to deploy as a public transit option.

Skip Descant, writing for Government Technology, shares details of a new report that assessed two North Carolina pilot programs testing low-speed autonomous vehicles. The conclusion? The vehicles still have “too many limitations” to be effective as transit solutions, including difficulty managing urban traffic settings and slow speeds that top out at about 12 miles per hour.
“These are some of the findings in a July 2024 report on the use of the autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttles by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). The study examined the use of the vehicles in the city of Cary and at the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Charlotte. Both pilot projects were part of the Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation (CASSI) program,” Descant reports. The two pilots used shuttle technology from Navya Autonom, a French company, and the shuttles were operated by Beep, a Florida-based company.
Despite these less than encouraging results, NCDOT plans to continue into the next phase of the CASSI program, which “could lead the agency to test autonomous systems embedded into more conventional vehicles,” similar to a project in Florida set to begin later this year. Beep and the Jacksonville Transportation Authority will test “14 customized Ford shuttles equipped with Level 4 autonomous technology, capable of traveling up to 37 miles per hour,” according to the Government Tech article.
FULL STORY: Small AV Shuttles Not Yet Suitable for Transit Operations

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

San Francisco’s Muni Ridership Grew in 2024
The system saw its highest ridership since before the Covid-19 pandemic, but faces a severe budget shortage in the coming year.

Colorado Lawmakers Move to Protect BRT Funding
In the face of potential federal funding cuts, CDOT leaders reasserted their commitment to planned bus rapid transit projects.

Safe Streets Funding in Jeopardy
The Trump administration is specifically targeting bike infrastructure and other road safety projects in its funding cuts.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland