Complete the Automated Shuttle Trial Pre-launch Survey
The West Rouge Automated Shuttle Trial is a project launched in partnership among the City of Toronto, Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), and Metrolinx.
This temporary trial uses a low-speed automated vehicle that is mostly self-driving. A human attendant will always be on-board to take over driving if needed. The shuttle will begin on-road testing in September 2021, with passenger service planned to begin in October. The service may extend until end of February 2022, depending how the vehicle performs in winter weather conditions.
Automated vehicles have the potential to reshape and redefine our transportation network. This trial is an opportunity for Torontonians to experience first-hand how it feels to ride on an automated vehicle, and to interact with it on public roads. It will also provide first-hand learning about the planning considerations for automated vehicle technology so we can further our goals of safe, green accessible and convenient transportation for all.
There is no intention to make this project permanent or scale up the use of automated shuttles at this time.
Public feedback is an important part of the project, and we invite you to get involved by clicking on “Tell Us What You Think” tab below.
Check back in October for detailed schedule information.
Check back in October for detailed schedule information.
The project team wants to ensure residents have the information they need about the service and the safety of the vehicle. We also want your opinion on many aspects of the project.
We want your feedback on the West Rouge Automated Shuttle Trial. Two survey options are available:
Online Public Information Session: Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
September/October: Meet the Shuttle at West Rouge Community Centre
October: Ride the West Rouge Automated Shuttle
The West Rouge Automated Shuttle service will begin taking passengers in October. Because this is a trial project, the exact date is still to be confirmed. Prior to launching service, the shuttle vehicle will undertake over a month of mapping, commissioning and on-road testing so we are confident it will operate safely and smoothly once members of the public are on board.
An online survey was shared via drop-mail and online communications from September 13 to October 31, 2019. More than 400 responses, including 134 from residents who live in the West Rouge neighbourhood, were received.
A public consultation drop-in event was hosted on October 2, 2019, in the West Rouge Community Centre, where 39 residents attended and discussed the project with team members.
If you require assistance in accessing any materials on this page, please contact Jason Diceman.
The shuttle will arrive in Toronto in mid-September 2021. Following its arrival, it will spend more than a month having all its systems tested, programming the exact route along which it will travel, and doing on-road testing to ensure safety.
During this testing period, local residents will see the shuttle travelling in the area, sometimes driven manually and sometimes in automated mode, but always with a human driver able to take control if needed. It will not be on a regular schedule during this set up period but will be following the planned route and using the stop platforms that have been installed. We expect passenger service to start sometime in late October or early November.
There will be no changes to the existing TTC bus service in the West Rouge area during the trial.
Automated vehicles have the potential to reshape and define our transportation network, and the City, TTC and Metrolinx are already working together to plan and take action.
The project partners want to understand the value of an automated shuttle service in the transit and transportation system so that they can make decisions about the use of this and similar technologies in the future. The project partners also want to understand how users and community members respond to this type of service, and provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about automated vehicles.
There is no intention to make this project permanent or scale up the use of automated shuttles at this time.
The goal of this trial is to demonstrate the future opportunity for a safe, green, accessible and convenient transit technology to support local travel needs. It is an opportunity for Torontonians to experience first-hand how it feels to ride on an automated vehicle, and to interact with it on public roads. The partner agencies are learning a lot through this process that will help inform future planning for:
This shuttle trial is happening with approval of the Ontario Automated Vehicle Pilot program, administered by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. Through this program, organizations can apply for a permit to test automated vehicles on Ontario public roads.
When the shuttle is ready to launch passenger service, this website and other communications channels will provide updates on the schedule. Due to health & safety considerations with COVID-19, combined with the small size of the shuttle vehicle, we are asking all passengers to book their ride ahead using an on-line service. This will limit passengers on a single ride to people within one household. Further information will be provided closer to the time that passenger service begins.
For the City of Toronto, TTC and Metrolinx, successful outcomes of the project include:
We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on travel patterns, particularly the commute to work and the use of public transit. This impact will be taken into consideration when assessing the success of the shuttle trial. Regardless of the number of passengers, the project partners will still gain valuable insight into the technology and this potential use-case.
The trial is funded by a contribution from Transport Canada through the Program to Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System (ACATS), as well as funding from the City of Toronto. The project partners (City of Toronto, TTC and Metrolinx) are also contributing in-kind support, such as staff time and other resources.
Transport Canada is providing a contribution of $365,000 for service preparation, delivery and evaluation. Total value of the project including in-kind support is estimated to be $1.153 million.
In September 2021, a similar shuttle trial began in the Town of Whitby. That trial uses a vehicle from the same manufacturer but with a somewhat different combination of navigation strategies. The West Rouge Automated Shuttle Trial and the shuttle trial in Whitby are the first two AV shuttle trials in Canada that are being conducted in partnership with transit agencies. The West Rouge shuttle is offering transit service on a new route specific to the trial. The Whitby trial is running on an existing transit route.
At this time, there is no intention to make this temporary trial permanent, nor to scale up automated shuttle services across the transit system without further analysis. During and after the trial, the City and its partners will conduct a full evaluation of the technology and its potential for integration into the transit system and other possible applications. This will include identifying future work and research that needs to be completed to continue preparing for this technology. More information on the City’s Automated Vehicles Tactical Plan.
The City, TTC and Metrolinx have no intention of purchasing the shuttle vehicle.
To select the preferred location, the City, TTC and Metrolinx began by developing selection criteria. They were:
Using these criteria, the team generated a list of potential locations within the City of Toronto and evaluated them against the criteria. West Rouge was the best candidate for meeting the project needs, and we hope residents will welcome this trial public service in their neighbourhood.
On October 14, 2020, the City of Toronto announced it had signed an agreement with Local Motors to provide the automated shuttle vehicle and service.
The shuttle vehicle is the Local Motors Olli 2.0, the latest iteration of its 3D-printed, electric, self-driving shuttle. With a seating capacity of up to eight passengers, Olli is equipped with an accessibility ramp and a securement system for one wheelchair or mobility device at a time. It has audio and visual announcements both inside and outside the vehicle, and other features for rider information.
The shuttle is an automated vehicle (AV) that is mostly self-driving. A human attendant will be on-board at all times, capable of taking manual control at a moment’s notice and able to make decisions and guide alternate routes when the shuttle is uncertain about safety or ability to proceed.
Local Motors’ Olli 2.0 is equipped with redundant LiDar and radar sensors to analyse its surroundings and respond to road and traffic conditions around it. Paired with digital mapping of the route, the shuttle uses these tools to navigate the environment along a “virtual track” that is preprogrammed.
The shuttle will have a maximum speed of approximately 20 km/h while operating autonomously and may travel more slowly in some circumstances. When operating in manual mode it can travel up to 40 km/hour.
The Olli 2.0 vehicle has a single large door in the middle of the curb-side, and a manually operated ramp to enable wheeled access. Passengers use bench seating around the perimeter, with seatbelts for up to 8 people. However to help ensure safety during the Covid-19 pandemic, occupancy will be limited to 4 people. Due to safety considerations, all passengers must wear a seatbelt. There is space in the centre to secure one mobility device.
The shuttle vehicle selected is fully compliant with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), the TTC Accessible Customer Service Policy and the Metrolinx Accessibility Policy. Access for passengers using mobility devices will be via a ramp deployed manually by the on-board safety attendant. The shuttle includes announcements audible both inside and outside the vehicle and digital information screens inside and outside.
Due to the size and passenger limitations of the Local Motors vehicle, only one passenger with a mobility device (wheelchair, electric scooter or other of similar size) can be accommodated at a time. The space used by passengers with mobility devices does place some limitations on the number of other passengers that can be accommodated in a single trip. We anticipate the booking system to be required for all passengers will enable us to respectfully manage space limitations.
An attendant will always be on board to provide assistance as needed.
One of the objectives of the trial is to learn about the vehicle’s performance in a range of weather conditions. The trial timeline from fall 2021 to February 2022 will enable us to assess the shuttle’s performance in a range of weather and road conditions.
Generally speaking, based on our current knowledge, the Olli 2.0 automated shuttle can operate in different weather conditions, including some snow conditions. Heavy rain, heavy snow, and fog all impact the effectiveness of the Lidar and radar systems. Weather conditions will be monitored carefully and the shuttle may be taken out of service if weather conditions are deemed unsafe. The shuttle also has an electric motor and we know battery life can be reduced from cold temperatures. To mitigate this, the storage area for the vehicle is heated, however there may be limitations on the distance the shuttle can travel when temperatures drop below freezing.
Local Motors (the shuttle vendor) and AutoGuardian (the shuttle operator) are providing a service plan based on the vehicle’s capabilities to ensure safe operations at all times.
See the Olli 2.0 in action:
Type (don’t copy and paste) your email address into the box, check the checkbox below that, and then click “Subscribe”. You will receive an email with instructions to confirm your request.
The personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the City of Toronto Act, 2006. The information is used to allow the City to send you an email to confirm your wish to subscribe to a City of Toronto e-notice. Questions about this collection may be directed to the ListServ Administrator, Strategic Communications Division, City of Toronto, Toronto City Hall, 7th floor, West Tower, Toronto M5H 2N2. Email: webfeedback@toronto.ca. By subscribing to one of the City of Toronto’s e-updates you are providing express consent, as defined by the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), to receive email updates from the City of Toronto.
The short URL for this web page is toronto.ca/AVshuttle
Partners:
Funded by:
*Transportation Services collects personal information (your email address) under the legal authority of Item PW31.7, City Council Decision 1, as confirmed by the City of Toronto By-law 1321-2018. The information will be used to respond to the inquiries related to the survey and the Automated Shuttle Trial project. Questions about this collection can be directed to the Manager, Public Consultation Unit, Metro Hall, 19th Floor, 55 John Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3C6 or by telephone at 416-392-2990.