Could the Driverless Med City Mover Shuttle Return to Rochester?

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- It was a little over two years ago that a pair of small driverless shuttles were moving people throughout downtown Rochester. 

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The autonomous Med City Mover took its first trip in late September of 2021. The program was funded by a state grant. 

Both shuttles were part of a program to test the feasibility of autonomous, electric transportation in a northern climate. The rides came to end in August of 2022. 

Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said over 2,000 people had taken rides on the shuttle. 

Upon announcing the end of the program, the Minnesota Department of Transportation said the project’s purpose is to gather data and information on the use of automated vehicles. 

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Are There Plans for a Driverless Shuttle to Return to Rochester, MN?

The return of a driverless shuttle to Rochester’s streets is not imminent, according to City of Rochester Communications and Engagement Coordinator Nick Lemmer. 

“There are no immediate plans for City-operated autonomous transit service in Rochester,” Lemmer tells KROC News. 

Lemmer says the city’s transportation team monitors the latest technology in mass transit and acts on projects that could be seen as the right fit for the community. 

Some recent additions to the city’s transportation system that Lemmer highlights includes a microtransit pilot project in Southeast Rochester called RPT Go, which was launched earlier this year.

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Rochester Public Transit (RPT) also launched a new mobile app and has added electric vehicles to its fleet.