Autonomous shuttle offers free rides from Mosaic to Metro

Rep. Gerry Connolly (left) and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay in front of Relay.

Relay, the autonomous electric shuttle connecting the Mosaic District in Merrifield to Metro is up and running. 

Federal, state, and county officials, along with private sector representatives cut the ribbon Oct. 22 inaugurating the first driverless public transportation vehicle in Virginia. 

Relay operates Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., approximately every 15-20 minutes, from bus bay A at the Dunn Loring Metro station to the stop in front of the Barnes & Noble store in the Mosaic District.

Relay’s first public trip.

It cruises along Avenir Place, Merrillee Drive, Eskridge Road, Merrifield Cinema Drive, and Merrifield Town Center. It crosses Prosperity Avenue and Lee Highway. View the route map here. 

Rides are free. The shuttle operates at just 10 mph, the trip takes about 15 minutes. Passengers must wear seatbelts. A safety steward will always be on-board to monitor operations. 

In response to the pandemic, capacity is limited to three passengers, and face coverings are required. 

The pilot project to develop Relay was carried out by a public-private partnership that includes Fairfax County, Dominion Energy, Edens (the Mosaic District developer), the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (VDRPT), Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, and George Mason University.  

Related story: Autonomous shuttle in Mosaic to start testing

“If there is technology that is going to improve the quality of life of our residents – through cleaner air, more efficient transit, and a stronger economy – we want to be on the forefront of that. In Fairfax County, we are always improving and exploring new opportunities for innovation,” said Jeffrey McKay, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. 

Fairfax County and Dominion Energy are exploring how to best deploy autonomous electric technology as part of a large public transportation system. Fairfax County is interested in this technology for its potential economic and environmental benefits, operational efficiencies, and as a first-mile/last-mile travel solution. 

A socially distanced ribbon cutting.

The county received a $200,000 grant from VDRPT for the operations of the pilot and provided a $50,000 local match. The county is contracting with Transdev to manage the operations of Relay.  

Dominion Energy is supplying the autonomous electric vehicle, which is manufactured by EasyMile. It’s the EZ10 model, which has a proven track record of over 200 deployments and features a full set of sensors, including Lidar, odometry, cameras, and GPS to ensure safety.