Beep has announced that ATL Spoke, an autonomous transit pilot deployed in partnership with Atlanta Beltline, is now in service and open to the public. The ATL Spoke represents the first autonomous public transit in the City of Atlanta.
The 12-month pilot, funded by the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority, will evaluate how autonomous transit can support flexible, cost-effective neighbourhood circulation while complementing existing MARTA service.
“As we seek to create an integrated and connected transportation network, ATL Spoke showcases the way innovative thinking can solve for the first-mile, last-mile connectivity challenges when we work with partners like MARTA, the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority and Beep,” said Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of Atlanta Beltline. “This project is piloting the future of neighborhood mobility in a way that improves access to transit and opportunity.”
Beep has partnered with Karsan and ADASTec to deliver a fully integrated autonomous transit service.
Powered by AutonomOS, Beep’s AV-agnostic supervision and management platform, the ATL Spoke enables operators to deliver transit-integrated autonomous mobility services at scale through vehicle supervision, fleet orchestration and centralized workflow management.
“Atlanta is a forward-thinking city and an ideal place to demonstrate the potential impact of automated systems as additional tools cities and transit planners can use to address connectivity and access to traditional modes,” commented Clayton Tino, president and COO of Beep.
“Individual AVs can safely drive themselves, but there is still a need for coordinated operation and supervision. Our AutonomOS platform fills this gap by enabling operators to manage automated transit networks through a single pane of glass, incorporating AVs into existing modes in complex service areas.”
The ATL Spoke service uses four Karsan Autonomous e-JEST vehicles. The Karsan vehicle meets all federal motor vehicle safety standards and accessibility requirements, has successfully completed federal bus testing, and is backed by OEM warranty and series-production capabilities.
“At Karsan, we believe the future of mobility is electric, autonomous, and intelligent. Together with Beep and ADASTec, we are proud to bring a fully integrated autonomous transit solution to the Atlanta Beltline community,” said Karsan CEO Okan Bas. “I congratulate Atlanta Beltline for its visionary approach and commitment to innovation, which have made this shared vision of sustainable autonomous transportation a reality.”
ADASTec’s SAE Level 4 automated driving platform, Flowride.AI, combines advanced software and sensor technology proven in commercial deployments on public roads worldwide. Designed for driverless operation in mixed traffic, it delivers reliable performance across diverse and adverse driving conditions without onboard human intervention.
“ATL Spoke represents an important milestone in demonstrating how SAE Level 4 automated bus technology can move from individual deployments to coordinated fleet operations in a real public transportation network,” said Dr Ali Peker, CEO of ADASTec.
“With four Autonomous e-JEST vehicles operating in the same deployment, the project highlights the scalability of automated transit in a complex urban environment. By integrating ADASTec’s Flowride.AI platform with Beep’s operational expertise and Karsan’s proven e-JEST vehicle platform, we are delivering safe, efficient, and accessible automated transit at scale.”
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