Autonomous shuttle in Mosaic to start testing

Testing of the autonomous electric shuttle that will provide free rides between the Mosaic District  and the Dunn Loring Metro station in Merrifield could start as early as this week, according to a tweet from the Fairfax County government.

After the testing phase, called Relay, will be officially launched and available to the public. 

Relay’s speed it capped at 12.5 mph. It relies on localization lasers, GPS, odometry, and cameras to follow a predefined network of routes. It can hold 12 passengers, with six seated and six standing. 

Related story: Self-driving vehicle selected for Merrifield shuttle

When public service begins, several restrictions will be place in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: Capacity will be limited to four people, and passengers and safety operators will be required to wear masks.  

Relay will be the first driverless public transportation project in the D.C. region and the first state-funded project of its type of Virginia. 

This pilot project is a partnership among Fairfax County, Dominion Energy, Edens, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DPRT), the Virginia Department of Transportation, and George Mason University. 

Fairfax County received a $250,000 DPRT grant that includes $50,000 in county matching funds for the project. Dominion Energy is providing the shuttle and related charging infrastructure.