USF’s College of Engineering and the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR) recently received $579K from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), through the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), to support the development, testing, and verification of autonomous transit buses specifically for bus yard operations as part of the “Safer and Scalable Autonomous Bus Yard Parking and Recall Demo at Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority” project. The initiative aims to ensure that the technology is safe, scalable, and ready for real-world deployment, representing a significant step toward the future of smarter and safer public transportation.
The project will focus on autonomous bus parking and recall, demonstrating how these systems can improve day-to-day operations. It will also include safety-critical scenarios to showcase how the autonomous system can handle unexpected events, ensuring both safety and reliability.
The overall objective is to highlight how autonomous buses can enhance safety and operational efficiency in bus yard environments, particularly in response to staff shortages faced by transit agencies nationwide. By demonstrating automated parking and recall systems, the project seeks to optimize yard operations and better allocate staff resources. Expected benefits include: 1) improving driver safety and working conditions, and 2) increasing the efficiency and productivity of bus yard activities.
“The initiative aims to ensure that the technology is safe, scalable, and ready for real-world deployment, representing a significant step toward the future of smarter and safer public transportation.” Arman Sargolzaei, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida.
“PSTA has always been a leader in adopting new technologies. This project highlights the continued effort by PSTA to explore innovative solutions for providing efficient and environmentally friendly transit service to the residents of Pinellas County. CUTR/USF is proud to continue collaborating with PSTA and other industry leaders on testing and demonstrating cutting-edge transit technologies.” Alexander Kolpakov, Senior Research Associate, Center for Urban Transportation Research, University of South Florida
