Detroit's Self-Driving Future
Project location
Detroit, MI
Project phase
Community review
OMI is excited to engage with Detroit residents to shape our vision for connecting self-driving vehicle technology to transportation options in Detroit. Our team would like to understand Detroiters questions, comments, and perceptions about self-driving vehicles. These efforts will help expand transportation options in Detroit for years to come. As we engage with one another through this initiative, OMI commits to placing the following values at the heart of our work: mobility equity, accessibility, and transparency.
This engagement will also help shape the way OMI conducts pilots and engages around this evolving technology. OMI is set to launch a self-driving shuttle pilot in service zones across multiple neighborhoods in the city, expected to begin in 2024. The contract for May Mobility to provide this shuttle service was approved by City Council in July of 2023. More information about this pilot can be found on the City's Website and the July 26, 2023 Press Release.
Classic modes of transportation, including personal cars, Uber/Lyft (and other rideshares), public transportation, shuttles, and delivery services, can be reimagined to include self-driving technology. This technology is already being deployed in cities across the United States through various transportation services including shuttles, delivery robots, and rideshares.
Imagine the public transportation options available today: Bus Routes, Shuttles, Paratransit. These vehicles all have the potential to be self-driving, lowering costs and increasing the efficiency of our existing systems.
You may have seen these robots roaming the streets and sidewalks of Detroit already through pilots currently underway. These robots can expand delivery options for food and other goods in the years to come.
Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft also have the potential to become self-driving. They would be able to pick you up and bring you to your destination just like a driver could. This technology could make these services more affordable and accessible in the future.
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