Get on board with driverless transit, Edmonton told

As Edmonton redesigns its bus system and paves the path for more LRT lines, two companies are asking the city to includeautonomous transit in Edmonton's future network.

Pacific Western Group of Companies, which operates the Red Arrow bus service and has 25 transit contracts across the country, wants to partner with the city to run self-driving shuttles.

The company's director of sales and business development, John Stepovy, told theurban planning committee Tuesday they will runan autonomous vehiclein Calgary this September to shuttle people betweenthe zoo andTelusSpark science museum.

Stepovyhopesto do something similar in Edmonton during theCFL'sGrey Cupthis November. They've also reached out to Fort Edmonton Park, he said.

I think this is coming a lot quicker than people think- Coun. Andrew Knack

"We believe that Edmonton's got a great opportunity to be a leader in this space,"Stepovysaid. "There's technology out there that can enhance the system."

City staff said they're willing to work with the company to figure out a small testsitethis year.

Maglev-based technology

Edmonton-based Magnovate Transportation is pitching an even more state-of-the-art project.

Dan Corns, president and CEO, said his company uses existingMaglevtraintechnology, which runs in Germany and China.

Short for magnetic levitation, Maglev trains are considered faster, more efficient, less expensive and more environmentally friendly than traditional trains, he said.

Instead of a train,Magnovate proposeslight-weight vehicles that would require theirown track in "seamless, on-demand networks, where you're not running into traffic jams."

"What we're looking to do is to create something revolutionary," Corns said Tuesday.

He said the company is developing prototypes and wants to partner with the city for an urban pilot project, suggesting a network from downtown Edmonton to the airport.

"You have lighter vehicles that show up every 30 seconds to a minute," he said. "With express vehicles going directly to your destination without stopping at each station along the way."

The company is setting up North America's first Maglev-based system in Toronto, starting with a one-kilometre track in the next six to eight months, stretching toa five-km trip.

Corns estimates a short systemcould beup and running in Edmonton in four or five years.

He said the first step is for the city to look at the company's third-party cost study and technology to see if they're interested. Ifthey are, he'd then lookfor sites for a pilot project and ask the city to help lobby the federal government for funding.

Changing labour field

Coun. Andrew Knack was curious how autonomous vehicles may impact companies and jobs.

Stepovy said positions may have to adjust to the new industry but he believes people won't lose jobs, at least not right away.

"We don't envision this being totally unmanned, unoccupied," he said.

Red Arrow, which runs several buses a day from Edmonton to Calgary and Fort McMurray, for example, would still require an attendant.

• Suncor to begin using autonomous vehicles over the next 6 years

"If that becomes an autonomous shuttle going up and down the highway, rather than having a driver, you're going to have a customer service attendant on board," he said. "So you're still going to help people with their luggage, you're going to answer questions."

Knack brought the subject to the committee meeting.

"I think this is coming a lot quicker than people think," Knack said. "In the way we move goods throughout the city, in the way we move people throughout the city.

"It would be nice to be the ones who are at the front of this."

• Edmonton moves ahead on driverless vehicle testing

• Edmonton could become test centre for driverless vehicles

The committee agreed that Edmonton should be ready to test autonomous vehicles by January 2019 at the latest.

Tesla crash

Despite recent news that the Tesla vehicle involved in a fatal crash last week in California was operating on autopilot, Knack said the city must move forward.

Knack said the technology is not going to be 100-per-cent perfect but is meant to reduce serious collisions.

• Tesla says vehicle in deadly California crash was on autopilot

"We often forget about the fact that there are thousands of deaths on Canadian roads every year in motor vehicle collisions," he said. "It's become almost so common that we don't report on every traffic fatality across this country."

Right now, he said testing in Alberta requires a "perfectly enclosed roadway network," which makes it difficult to test anywhere.

The province is expected to release its updated frameworkby June, after which the city can formulate a more specific outline for automated vehicle testing.