ANN ARBOR–Autonomous vehicle builder May Mobility announced it is working with the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to provide its microtransit service to improve access to healthcare in Martinez, Calif.
May Mobility has been selected to provide on-demand transportation for staff, patients, their families and others in the surrounding community. The service aims to reduce medical appointment cancellations and absences due to a lack of convenient, accessible transportation.
CCTA intends to integrate May Mobility’s autonomous vehicle technology into its existing transportation network, expanding the authority’s autonomous fleet. The fleet will include seven vehicles, three of which will be wheelchair-accessible models that feature an ADA-compliant wheelchair ramp and securement system.
This autonomous microtransit service will be powered by Via. Riders will be able to book an on-demand AV ride through the Via-powered May Mobility app (Google Play or App Store) or by calling a phone number. Via’s AI-based booking and routing algorithms are designed to match riders headed in the same direction into one AV to create efficient shared trips.
Said Manik Dhar, chief commercial officer for May Mobility: “Our on-demand, autonomous microtransit is a perfect solution to aid CCTA’s efforts to improve healthcare outcomes and equity by helping patients get to and from their medical appointments on time. This opportunity further proves that autonomous vehicle technology can fill the gaps in public transportation.”
May Mobility has already taken steps to prepare for service in the state, securing its autonomous vehicle testing permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which allows AV testing supervised by a human operator. In addition to stops at local medical facilities, the deployment plans to include stops that enhance transit connectivity. May Mobility, Via and CCTA will continue to identify stops that connect the community with local points of interest and public health facilities that will improve the quality of life for county residents.
When this deployment goes live, estimated by early 2024, May Mobility will have active operations in California, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Arizona.
May Mobility, established in Ann Arbor in 2017, has delivered more than 335,000 autonomy-enabled rides to date in several public transit applications across the United States and Japan. More at www.maymobility.com.
