ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. — The City of Altamonte Springs plans to launch a pilot program to use driverless vehicles to ease congestion and get people to popular spots in town.

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As hundreds of people move to Florida each year, area roads are becoming more congested in cities like Altamonte Springs, where over one million people drive through each year.

The new proposed shuttle will be equivalent to taking six cars off the road when it’s complete. It may not go everywhere you need to go, but plans are to expand routes over the next three years.

Lorraine Bobo of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said building new roads cannot be their only focus.

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“When we talk transportation, we are talking all modes of transportation, and autonomous vehicles are that future,” said Bobo.

After talking extensively with Altamonte Springs, the FDOT chose the city, which has a history of innovation going back to the first days of SunRail, for a new autonomous vehicle project called CraneRIDES.

In the first year, CraneRIDES will have two shuttles seven days a week and travel about 1.5 miles. They plan to connect the Altamonte Mall Renaissance Centre, Cranes Roost, and the AMC movie theater.

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In the following two years, CraneRIDES will expand passenger services to east Altamonte with new vehicles connecting to AdventHealth. The Sunrail station and CenterPoint, where a planned 55-acre mixed-use development with a hotel retail establishments and the residential living facility is designed.

The idea is to create local mobility for residents and business patrons around the uptown area and then to SunRail. ultimately, we will have a flex flexible path extending to the Seminole Cabot trail. So it’s going to be a genuine Rails to Trails program

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