The City of Frisco, Denton County Transportation Authority, HALL Group, The Star, Frisco Station Partners, and Drive.ai made a major announcement today regarding a new transportation initiative featuring self-driving cars in Frisco’s North Platinum Corridor.
The self-driving cars are in a pilot period right now serving the area of Hall Office Park and The Star. Full service is expected to roll out in July expanding the service area to include Frisco Station.
Frisco is recognized as a leader in using ‘smart,’ innovative traffic technologies,” said Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney. Drive.ai’s autonomous vehicles will help people get around one of our most vibrant, commercial areas along Frisco’s ‘North Platinum Corridor.’
We applaud the collaboration of the Denton County Transportation Authority, as well as our private partners at HALL Park, Frisco Station and The Star, which gave the green light, so to speak, to this pioneering pilot program. Today definitely marks a mobility milestone for our entire region. It also gets us closer to achieving one of our council’s ‘Top Ten’ goals, which is to improve traffic throughout Frisco, one of the fastest growing cities in the country.
Drive.ai Self-Driving Cars
The self-driving cars include several features designed for safety. But Drive.ai is also putting a great deal of thought into passenger comfort and peace-of-mind.
Inside the car, passengers will find a screen which highlights the surrounding area indicating obstacles that the car is actively monitoring.
On the exterior of the car, panels will display signs that communicate with pedestrians and drivers. For example, while the vehicle is stopped waiting for a pedestrian to cross the road, panels on the front and sides will indicate to that pedestrian that the car is waiting for them, while a panel on the back will indicate to an approaching vehicle that the Drive.ai car is stopped and waiting for a pedestrian to cross the road.
If you’ve ever waited at a crosswalk trying to determine whether a driver of a car can even see you, it’s not hard to imagine how useful these panels will be for pedestrian-driver(less) communication.
Drive.ai Service Availability
Prior to the July launch date, office employees, residents, and patrons of these Frisco developments will gradually on-board into the program, gaining access to Drive.ai’s ride-hailing smartphone app.
Once the program is out of the pilot period, riders will use the app to hail complimentary on-demand rides in self-driving cars that connect to popular destinations in one of Frisco’s most lively areas.
Are you ready for self-driving cars in Frisco? Let us know in the comments below!
