ULTIMO drives transport development in Herford

As one of the deployment sites in the ULTIMO project, the German city of Herford has kick-started the first stage of implementation of autonomous shuttles within its public transport system.

Herford is an ideal location for the deployment of autonomous vehicles thanks to its well-connected infrastructure, highlighted by the comprehensive urban transport system operated by DB Regio Straße, which covers both the city and the surrounding areas. 

Together with local authorities, the project team has defined a final test route prioritizing optimized access to the hospital area and existing bus stations with the shuttle, which will operate as a line-based service. The selected areas for implementation are consistent with those identified in the city’s mobility study, the current distribution of transit stops or residential areas. They also prioritize different target audiences, such as connecting senior living facilities or facilitating access to amenities and recreational activities.

This choice of route enables a networked approach to public transport, which includes not only traditional scheduled services on main routes, but also additional components such as on-demand services in specific areas, linking park-and-ride (P&R) facilities to public transport. 

The next steps include assessing the technical feasibility and selecting the vehicle manufacturer. The goal is to have the first vehicles in operation in Herford by Q4 2024.  Once operations have stabilized, plans will be made to further develop the pilot area. The goal is to switch the service to on-demand as soon as possible. 

Source: the original article was published here