Self-driving shuttle provider May Mobility is resuming service, with extensive cleaning measures, in Grand Rapids, Mich., after halting its operations for 5 1/2 months because of the pandemic.
May Mobility temporarily suspended service in all of the cities in which it operates as a result of COVID-19. In Grand Rapids, May Mobility’s services were suspended March 16, with the initial anticipation of being closed until at least March 27.
“As a service that has over 500 users a day, and with current passengers who fall into the category of being at risk of severe illness, we feel it is in the best interest of our community to suspend service. This is an unprecedented event, and this is a decision we did not come to easily,” May Mobility CEO Edwin Olson said in a March statement.
May Mobility will resume only its Grand Rapids operations this month, a spokesperson said.
Service of the eight free shuttles, including one with wheelchair access, will resume on Aug. 31, according to a company release. Face coverings are required in the vehicles.
The shuttles operate on the 3.2-mile DASH West bus route, providing access to downtown Grand Rapids and the city’s West Side and Heartside districts. The route includes 20 stops, 30 traffic lights and 12 turns, including three left turns, according to the release.
May Mobility’s shuttles, part of the Grand Rapids Autonomous Vehicle Initiative, launched there in July 2019.
Since its temporary suspension, May Mobility has implemented several safety and cleaning procedures.
Though transmission of COVID-19 “occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through objects,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, disinfection as a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 is still recommended.
Efforts include:
- The use of a partition, which splits the cabin into two sections – one for the fleet attendant who is monitoring the vehicle and one for the passenger area. The passenger area still features seating for four people but is now limited to carrying one rider at a time or a group of riders from the same household or party.
- Holland, Mich.-based GHSP has provided grenlite, a UV-C light treatment system, for each shuttle to disinfect the interiors between each rider or group of riders.
- Halosil International’s Halo Disinfection System will also be used daily to disinfect the entire shuttle interior.
- The team is also ensuring clean air quality in the cabin by adding filters to each zone of the dual-zone air conditioning systems.
