Port Authority Experiments With Self-Driving Shuttle Buses In NJ, NY

NEWARK, NJ — The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey plans to continue its experiments with self-driving shuttle buses, the agency announced earlier this week.

According to the Port Authority, it will be testing the use of “autonomous shuttles” through pilot programs with three companies in 2026. The efforts will build on earlier “successful” tests that were done at Newark and John F. Kennedy airports over the past three years, officials said.

The Port Authority said that autonomous shuttles are a “new and convenient form of transportation that leverages 21st century technology to provide a convenient, comfortable experience.”

Conventional electric shuttle buses will remain an option for commuters, officials said.

NEWARK AIRPORT

In 2023, the Port Authority carried out a month-long experiment at Newark Airport in partnership with in partnership with STV and Perrone Robotics.

A 14-passenger Green Power AV-Star shuttle was retrofitted with autonomous driving technology from Perrone Robotics, including sensors, cameras and mapping functionalities. It was first tested on a safety course that included simulated car and pedestrian obstacles within a closed parking lot at the airport. It then moved to nighttime testing on airport roads between the airport’s P2 Air Train/parking facility and the new Terminal A, where it navigated arrival roadways, complex merges and multiple traffic lights. The shuttle was also tested in mixed traffic during daytime hours.

According to the Port Authority, it marked the first time an autonomous vehicle took to a public road in the state of New Jersey.

The Port Authority noted that the shuttle didn’t pick up passengers, had a safety driver on board as a backup, and always traveled at a maximum speed of 35 miles per hour.

>> Read More: Robotic Shuttle Van Drives Itself Around Newark Airport (VIDEOS)

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JFK AIRPORT

Meanwhile, the agency has also been experimenting with self-driving shuttle buses at JFK Airport in New York City.

According to a blog post from the Port Authority, two Ohmio shuttles were tested at Parking Lot 9 at JFK. Shaped like giant lima beans with wheels, the vehicles are designed to take the place of one conventional bus that currently circles the massive lot.

The new system may provide “increased service levels” while employing the same number of drivers, who would remain on one bus to provide customer service and technical support, officials said.

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