By Mike Wood

Staff writer

 

 

Monday, August 5 (11:30 a.m.): A handful of curious residents went for a ride on the first day that the PRESTO autonomous shuttle began operating its free service in Rossmoor.

On that July 22 morning, the rounded, colorful shuttle caused more than a few passers-by to gawk as it picked up passengers for the first time.

This soft launch of the pilot program began inconspicuously, going along its fixed route that has two stops: one next to the Fitness Center entrance and another at a Tice Creek Drive bus stop next to the Gateway parking lot.

A rotation of two shuttles made (roughly) 15-minute roundtrips from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at a speed of 12 mph. Each shuttle would break from the routine every couple of hours to get a recharge at the EV chargers adjacent to the Gateway buildings.

The PRESTO shuttles were introduced to Rossmoor at a June 12 town hall and started to be seen making test runs in early July.

Paul and Lucia Miclea, who have lived here for 21 years, saw that the shuttle was a “go” during a morning walk and were excited to give it a try. After the shuttle returned to its Tice Creek stop, Lucia emerged and gave a thumbs up for their test ride.

“We definitely appreciate having this here,” Paul Miclea said. “We’re excited to try something new.”

The official launch is set for Thursday, Aug. 1, with an event from 9 to 10 a.m. at Peacock Hall in which representatives from Contra Costa Transportation Authority, shuttle operator Beep and the GRF will discuss the program. Light refreshments will be served.

Steadily, more Rossmoorians took notice and rode the shuttles that first day, including Rick Axe and Maggie Chan, both residents of The Waterford.

“This could be helpful when many people are at a time in their lives when they have to give up the ability to drive,” Axe said.

Harvey Baumel gave a blunt assessment after stepping out of the shuttle: “This needs a lot of work.”

While the shuttle’s exterior is adorned with numerous emblems of partners in the program such as CCTA, Beep and autonomous vehicle software provider Oxa, Baumel said messaging is lacking on the inside, particularly instructions to passengers.

“A passenger had to tell me to buckle my seatbelt,” he said. He also described some “jerky” stops and starts and wondered why he didn’t see a CCTA representative on site to hear his feedback on the program, which is slated to run in Rossmoor through mid-March.

“I couldn’t wait for the first day; I went to the town hall when they talked about the shuttle coming to Rossmoor,” Baumel said. He said he’d like to see better messaging inside the vehicle and to make the ride smoother. Despite those critiques, he expressed optimism that it will improve.

“This was more fair-to-poor, but I’m sure they will get it to where it is good-to-excellent,” he said.

Residents can give feedback on the Rossmoor program online at https://ridepresto.com/rossmoor and access a form for feedback and questions. They can call 1-833-833-3076 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or access a QR code on their smartphone while riding the shuttle.

While the shuttle is driverless, each has an attendant who is seated much like a bus driver but with a digital screen and an array of devices in front of them instead of a steering wheel. The attendant can override the autonomous system to stop the shuttle, for instance. That’s important when there is a surprise action by a vehicle driver or pedestrian.

Beep attendant Karissa Thompson said she observed a car go through an intersection without stopping, “so I am being extra attentive.”

Shortly before noon that Monday, a Rossmoor News reporter saw a pickup truck pass one of the shuttle units as it headed on Tice Creek Drive to the Fitness Center from Gateway. The pickup truck appeared to be going approximately 25 mph, which is Rossmoor’s speed limit.

A shuttle like this, especially if it had stops at other destinations such as the Event Center or Creekside, could augment Rossmoor’s transportation program, Baumel said, calling Rossmoor Dial-A-Bus “a real treasure.”

Miclea said this is a glimpse into what transportation will transform into.

“Like it or not, this technology is the way of the future,” he said.