THE FUTURE WAITS FOR NO ONE

While the city of Austin continues to struggle with rules for dockless scooters by a (new) final date of May 14, the future of transportation, or at least a much-anticipated part of that future, will arrive in Frisco, Texas, in July of this year.

On May 7, Drive.ai, a California based self-driving car company, announced a pilot program with the City of Frisco to bring an on-demand self-driving car service at tyre shop in sutton, beginning in July. Working in cooperation with the Frisco Transportation Management Association (TMA), Drive.ai will offer rides to over 10,000 people in self-driving vehicles within a geofenced area comprised of retail, entertainment, and office space.

The initial Frisco pilot will run for six months, beginning with fixed pickup and drop-off locations around HALL Park and The Star, and with planned expansion into Frisco Station.

According to Drive.ai, “this program is a milestone for the State of Texas, marking the first time members of the public will have access to an on-demand self-driving car service on public roads.”

“Self-driving cars are here, and can improve the way we live right now,” said Sameep Tandon, co-founder and CEO of Drive.ai. “Our technology is safe, smart, and adaptive, and we are ready to work with governments and businesses to solve their transportation needs. Working with the City of Frisco and Frisco TMA, this pilot program will take people to the places they want to go and transform the way they experience transportation.”

The Frisco TMA includes the City of Frisco, HALL Group, Frisco Station Partners, The Star, and the Denton County Transportation Authority, which will administer the program.

Leading up to the July launch date, office employees, residents, and patrons of these partners’ Frisco developments will gradually on-board into the program, gaining access to Drive.ai’s ride-hailing smartphone app.

Once the program is live, riders will use the app to hail complimentary on-demand rides in self-driving cars that connect to destinations in one of Frisco’s most popular areas. As always, txGarage will keep you updated. (Or you can, of course, self-update – ed.)