Episode 47: Episode 47: Council Members Redesigning Cities: Autonomous Vehicle Shuttles in Boca Raton, FL

Autonomous vehicles are here – but which mode best serves cities? Private AVs like Tesla? Privately-owned and operated robotaxis like Waymo? Or publicly supported on-demand AV shuttle buses? Are on-demand AV shuttles a more efficient way to provide transit service in lower-density areas where regular bus service is infeasible – and if so how should cities plan for them? This summer Boca Rotan, Florida began a three-year roll-out of AV shuttles. An affluent city struggling to attract service-industry workers, the city sees the shuttles as a means of connecting affordable housing to affordable transportation. Is it working? Jun Wang, Assistant Professor at FAU in Boca Rotan shares her dissertation research on planning for AV shuttles before Mark Wigder, Boca Raton Council Member tells us why he championed the AV shuttle and how it’s doing so far. Noted transit urbanist Peter Calthorpe also makes a surprise appearance.