COBB COUNTY, GA — The Cobb County Commission has approved a critical agreement for a driverless shuttle pilot program in the Cumberland area near The Battery, paving the way for the project to move forward.
The agreement approved by commissioners lays out a plan for getting the autonomous shuttle program up and running. Cobb Department of Transportation Director Drew Raessler says a federal transit grant will cover most of the cost, with the Cumberland Community Improvement District providing the local match.
“It’s another step in a really exciting opportunity to demonstrate the latest and greatest in transportation technology in an area that has grown so much over these last 10 years,” Raessler said.
Raessler says the county’s next steps include defining the shuttle routes, evaluating the technology and installing charging infrastructure.
“With this important step having been completed, from here we will go into defining the routes and the technology, and the various improvements,” Raessler said.
“Charging infrastructure and everything else necessary to get the system up and running within the Cumberland area,” Raessler said.
Safety remains the county’s top priority as the project moves forward.
“So we have spent a lot of time over these past few years and will continue to investigate and evaluate the autonomous technology,” Raessler said.
County officials hope to have the autonomous shuttle pilot program operational by the end of next year.
WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.