Rhode Island begins autonomous vehicle pilot project
Governor Gina Raimondo, Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) Director Peter Alviti, Jr., along with state and local officials, kicked off the Little Roady autonomous vehicle pilot project in Providence. This research project to evaluate autonomous mobility technology went into service on Wednesday, May 15.
The free service will be the focus of a research project to help the Department better understand the opportunities and challenges that come with integrating this new technology into RIDOT’s transportation planning. The research will help improve transit and provide information for communities, the workforce and policymakers.
The debut of the autonomous vehicles is the latest step in a multi-agency effort called the Rhode Island Transportation Innovation Partnership (TRIP), which RIDOT launched in 2017. TRIP also includes a research component, with the goal of studying autonomous mobility solutions, ridership, workforce impacts, environmental impacts, and technology adoption, among others.
