Oct. 8, 2020—The University of Texas at Arlington recently received $606,457 to help launch a new autonomous public transportation program.

The project, titled Arlington Rideshare, Automation, and Payment Integration Demonstration or Arlington RAPID, is part of a $1.7 million Federal Transportation Administration grant awarded to the city of Arlington, reports Science Magazine. 

The goal of the project is to provide a blueprint for combining autonomous vehicles with mobility-on-demand technologies. The one-year pilot program will offer free rides for UT Arlington students and other passengers. The pilot program is expected to start March 2021. 

Image: City of Arlington