As the Destination Medical Center Corp. board receives an update on transportation efforts, a glimpse at the future potential of driverless cars will be seen in Rochester’s Peace Plaza.
Rochester Public Transit and the DMC Economic Development Agency are bringing the EZ10, a driverless electric vehicle, to Peace Plaza from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday to provide the public and local officials a chance to experience this technology firsthand.
This vehicle, which was recently tested at MnROAD, the Minnesota Department of Transportation research facility in Albertville, has also made recent stops at the Minnesota State Capitol, at 3M Global Headquarters, and on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis during Super Bowl week.
Organizers are inviting local residents to stop by Peace Plaza for a short, guided trip in the vehicle along the plaza. MnDOT chief of staff Eric Davis and project manager Michael Kronzer, along with representatives from vehicle operator First Transit, will share their experiences testing the vehicle and answer questions.
Automated vehicles were among the many transit technologies examined recently by the city of Rochester and DMC EDA in a series of integrated transportation studies.
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The preliminary findings from the transportation studies were shared with the Rochester City Council on Monday and will be part of the the Destination Medical Center Corp. board meeting at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in Suite 101 of the Mayo Civic Center.
