Sun City residents get their own autonomous vehicle service — and the price is right: Free
An autonomous ride-hailing service plans to give Sun City residents a new way to get to and from popular places in their community.
May Mobility, an autonomous transportation provider, began service in Sun City in late April. The service allows users to hail a vehicle on-demand for pick up and drop off at various locations. The service is starting with two vehicles, both Toyota Sienna hybrids, one of which is wheelchair accessible.
The service is free to users based on a partnership with AARP, Daisy Wall, director of government business at May Mobility, said.
“The West Valley has not had adequate transportation coverage,” Wall said of the company’s decision to launch in Sun City, a 55 and older community.
May’s vehicles have a safety driver sitting in the driver’s seat who can help passengers, answer questions and assist in accessibility for wheelchair users, but the vehicles operate autonomously.
The company first started working with the Arizona Department of Transportation to secure its permits about a year ago, Wall said.
“We want to see a future where autonomous innovation can be inclusive for all,” Wall said.
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Riders can hail the cars at various spots throughout Sun City, and if another rider is going in the same direction, multiple people can go in the same vehicle, like an Uber pool. Rides are ordered through the May Mobility app, which is available for download at the App Store or the Google Play store. If a user does not have a smartphone, they can also call 602-647-3953 to book.
Rides are available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Sun City stops are:
Lakeview Recreation Center
SunCity Sundial Recreation Center
Maxwell Group
The Palms
The Gardens of Sun City
Bell Recreation Center
McDonald's / Sun Shadow Square Plaza
Banner Boswell Medical
Safeway Stop / Bell Rd. / Bell Camino Center
Medicare Service Center
The Woodmark
Meghan Grela, the autonomous vehicle lead at Via, the app and back-end technology provider for the service, said the company considers the vehicles a mode of public transportation, giving some users more independence and convenience of point-to-point transport, unlike a bus that drives along a fixed route.
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Spencer Jay, one of the safety drivers for May Mobility, said he had never traveled in an autonomous vehicle before but is very interested in technology and wanted to try it out. Working as a safety driver has allowed him to meet new people and learn more about autonomous technology.
“People have been interested in it,” he said. “It’s something new in the neighborhood. People always ask questions about what it is and what it does.”
Jay, who lives in Tolleson, said riders are curious about the vehicle and are starting to book more trips. When he doesn’t have passengers, the vehicle drives around the area, which he hopes will generate more interest in the service.
Earl Peters, a Sun City resident, said he started seeing autonomous vehicles around the Valley about five years ago and said the idea was “freaky, but that was back then.” Now, he said, he's interested in trying out the service.
Peters and his friend, Victor Smith, were playing darts at the Bell Recreation Center, one of the service’s stops. Both said they would like to try the autonomous vehicle, which could make getting to their afternoon games more convenient.
Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @CorinaVanek.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Self-driving taxi service May Mobility launches for Sun City residents
