Lyft announced it will bring autonomous vehicles to Atlanta next year, joining Uber in plans to offer self-driving rides in the city.
San Francisco-based Lyft is partnering with autonomous driving technology company May Mobility for a fleet of autonomous Toyota Sienna minivans that riders could be matched with on the Lyft app.
Atlanta will be the first city where the two companies will deploy the vehicles equipped with May Mobility’s autonomous technology.
Initial deployments will use human “safety operators,” and then over time will transition to operations without drivers, according to May Mobility.
The companies did not release details on when in 2025 the service will begin, how long the vehicles will have human drivers in them or how the rides will work. May Mobility said it and Lyft will start planning in the months ahead, including details on where the service will be offered, hours of operation, fleet size and other details.
“Riders in Atlanta will soon find taking an autonomous ride with May Mobility as simple and intuitive as any other Lyft mode,” Lyft Executive Vice President Jeremy Bird said in a written statement.
Lyft said it and May Mobility aim to “scale over time across multiple markets.” Lyft has partnerships with other driverless technology companies and has offered autonomous service in other cities.
Ann Arbor, Michigan-based May Mobility said that, as it deploys autonomous vehicles on Lyft’s network, “the companies will continue to work with local governments and communities to encourage a smooth expansion of autonomous vehicle service which aims to benefit riders and cities alike.”
May Mobility has already been operating its autonomous vehicles as a demonstration in Georgia. In September, the company announced the launch of a demonstration at Peachtree Corners’ Curiosity Lab with its autonomous Toyota Siennas making stops along Technology Parkway.
Peachtree Corners, which positions itself as a “smart city” that serves as a testing ground for futuristic technologies, has for years had other autonomous shuttles operating in a loop on the city’s test track on Technology Parkway.
The May Mobility and Lyft announcement comes after Waymo started testing its self-driving cars in Atlanta this year, and after Uber and Waymo announced plans to offer rides through the Uber app in autonomous electric Jaguar I-PACE SUVs starting in early 2025.
When the Uber Waymo rides are launched to the public in Atlanta, they will be fully autonomous with no human behind the wheel, according to Waymo.
A bill allowing self-driving cars to operate on public roads in Georgia was signed into law in 2017 by then-Gov. Nathan Deal. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens earlier this year floated the idea of self-driving pods as a possible alternative to light rail planned for the Beltline.
The plans to launch robotaxis in Atlanta come as crashes involving autonomous vehicles in other states have raised safety concerns, and after the launch of a federal investigation into incidents involving Waymo vehicles. AAA said a survey it conducted in January found that 66% of U.S. drivers express fear and 25% express uncertainty about fully self-driving vehicles.
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