Via, the developer of mobility platform Transit Tech, announced that it has partnered with May Mobility, an autonomous vehicle (AV) solution provider, to launch a public transportation system using American Disability Act (ADA)-compliant autonomous vehicles in the rural community of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Through this initiative, it aims to display the growth potential of AVs, especially in public transportation, and encourage the deployment of AVs in rural areas to adapt to the diverse terrain and occasional extreme weather conditions. The service is also expected to complement Grand Rapids’ existing fixed-route bus lines connecting commuters within city limits. 

The free, on-demand shared ride service powered by Via’s proprietary booking and routing algorithm is available to all commuters through the Via app, including weekday nights and weekends. Non-smartphone users can also access the service through a phone booking system. 

In April 2022, May Mobility partnered with BraunAbility, an ADA-compliant mobility solutions developer, to enable wheelchair accessibility across its fleet of Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicles. This will be the debut of May Mobility’s modified fleet of AV vehicles and the first-time deployment of ADA-compliant autonomous vehicles in the US.

Analyst QuickTake: In 2021, Via and May Mobility launched public transportation services with AV in Metropolitan areas such as Arlington, Texas, Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. More recently, Via entered into a partnership with Chino City, Japan in September 2022, to launch “Noraza," an AI-based micro-transit service to help the city reach its transportation needs, and in July 2022, partnered with bus manufacturer IVECO BUS to explore the possibility of future collaborations in the development of digital solutions and associated services for public transportation in buses.