Meet Milo-NEW Technology Graces Arlington
Meet Milo it is Arlington’s new driverless shuttle! If you thought the walk from the parking lot to the Globe Life Park or the AT&T Stadium was going to be the only choice big sports fans had to enjoy a good game. You thought wrong! Arlington is a city that is always on the cusp of new innovating ideas that bring more residents and consumers. But Milo takes the cake!
As Reported By Bill Hanna/ Star-Telegram
That hike from your parking spot to games at AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Park may soon get a little easier.
In what Arlington is calling the nation’s first autonomous public shuttle network, the city will launch milo — short for mile zero, or when fans arrive at their destination — on Aug. 26 at the Dallas Cowboys preseason game against the Oakland Raiders, officials said Friday. They will also start being used for Texas Rangers home games on Sept. 1.
The shuttles will help fans who have to park in remote lots and navigate the construction zone for Texas Live! and the new Rangers Stadium. But the impact will be limited, as each shuttle can carry just 12 passengers.
Made By EasyMile of Toulouse, France
The shuttles, made by EasyMile of Toulouse, France, have been in the testing phase this summer throughout Arlington’s Entertainment District. They are part of a one-year pilot program that the City Council approved in March. It costs $272,000 to lease the vehicles for the entire year. Milo, Arlington’s self-driving shuttle, will ferry fans closer to events held at AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Park. It will not run on city streets.
City of Arlington Handout
Lauren Isaac, director of business initiatives for EasyMile, said the shuttles will be a big help for those with disabilities or limited mobility.
If the pilot project works, Williams said Arlington could add more driverless shuttles.
Stay Tuned
“Stay tuned,” Williams said. “If it works, yes, we’ll have more. If it doesn’t, we’ll go on to something else.”
Arlington, which has seen voters reject mass transit three times, will continue to look for different approaches to moving its citizens around the city. A transportation committee has been studying the issue and will make recommendations to the City Council.
Williams said traditional mass transit is not an option.
“I think light rail and diesel buses are outdated, and that’s not what we’re after here in our city,” Williams said. “We’re looking at the new technology that will be much cheaper and safer.”
Where They Will Run
Under Texas law, autonomous shuttles must stay off city streets.
Source:
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/arlington/article166672082.html
