HARTFORD, Conn. (WTIC Radio) - The first full-size autonomous transit buses in North America will be tested in Connecticut.
As part of a pilot program, three 40-foot electric buses are poised to start rolling on CTfastrak between Hartford and New Britain sometime next summer.
While buses will operate autonomously, drivers will be at the controls in case of an emergency, and to navigate the vehicles through downtown Hartford, according to the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Officials say the autonomous technology will allow buses to operate more closely together (which is called platooning) and always stop at stations with a consistent gap between the platform and the bus.
The zero-emission buses are being built specifically for Connecticut and will then be outfitted with autonomous technology.
The pilot program carries a price tag of approximately $9 million.
