An autonomous shuttle pilot in San Francisco was halted last week after a shuttle collided with a car resulting in minor damage to both vehicles.

The Loop shuttle pilot on San Francisco’s Treasure Island started on August 16 and is one of California’s first demonstrations of AV shuttles operating entirely on public roads.

On August 23, a Loop shuttle was involved in a non-injury collision with a car. According to the shuttle attendant onboard and a video recording from the shuttle dashcam, the Loop vehicle was traveling east on 9th Street through the intersection of Seven Seas Avenue and had the right-of-way when a passenger car proceeded through a stop sign, and made contact with the shuttle.

There were no riders on the shuttle. The shuttle was operating in autonomous mode at the time of the incident. Shuttle provider Beep is collecting additional vehicle data.

The Loop passenger service has been paused while Beep conducts analysis of the incident. Beep will file a report of the incident with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and California DMV. Other Loop shuttles may be traveling intermittently to conduct testing during this time.

A service update is expected this week.

The Treasure Island Mobility Management Agency (Timma) and the Treasure Island Development Authority (Tida) launched the shuttle pilot with agency partners and community leaders.

The Loop provides free rides using fully electric autonomous shuttles with an attendant on-board at all times. The shuttle picks up passengers along a fixed route that features seven stops around the core of Treasure Island and can accommodate wheelchair users.

The Loop service operates seven days a week from 9am to 6pm connecting Treasure Island neighbourhoods to community centres and commercial venues. Two autonomous vehicles run approximately every 20 minutes.

Funded by grants from the US Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Transportation Commission and San Francisco County Transportation Authority, the pilot will operate for nine months and is designed to help Timma better understand how a shuttle service could meet the needs of people traveling around the neighbourhood and provide the community with opportunities to learn about driverless technology.

“We are delighted to launch the new autonomous vehicle shuttle to serve Treasure Island,” said Timma chair Matt Dorsey. “This is a community with unique transportation needs and challenges, and this innovative pilot will give us insight into how autonomous vehicles can enhance neighbourhood access and promote community-wide learning.”

Tida president V Fei Tsen added: “We are thrilled for this free service to support the Treasure Island community. This new service is a further example of our comprehensive approach to expanding transportation options for current neighbourhoods and businesses, as well as for new residents coming to Treasure Island.”

The AV shuttles are provided and operated by Beep, an autonomous vehicle firm that was selected by Timma. Following approvals from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, California Department of Motor Vehicles and California Public Utilities Commission, Beep staff tested the vehicles for several weeks on Treasure Island, evaluating the shuttles’ software, lidar and communications capabilities. Beep also led training for the attendants who will be on board the shuttles. Attendants can take control of the shuttle if needed, answer questions and assist passengers. The operations and service of the vehicles will be continuously monitored through the Beep command centre.

During testing, Timma staff arranged meetings with city agencies and key community groups to coordinate operational protocols and obtain feedback. These included workshops with first responders and staff from the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to review safety protocols and accessibility features, and to ensure coordination with a local bus line.

This pilot is funded by grants for mobility technology and community partnerships from the Federal Highway Administration, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and Transportation Authority’s Prop L transportation sales tax programme. In addition to providing public shuttle services, planned pilot programme activities include educational events and workforce development exchanges, as well as a robust operational and public perceptions evaluation component.

Updates on the shuttle can be found at www.timma.org/ti-loop.