Port Authority tests autonomous shuttles at Kennedy Airport

Three autonomous vehicles cruised down a closed roadway at Kennedy Airport on Thursday — offering a glimpse into emergent technology that may soon transform ground transportation.

The eight-passenger vehicles from New Zealand-based company Ohmio traveled about 20 mph at around 7 feet apart at a parking lot that was closed off to the general public, Port Authority officials said in a statement. An onboard safety operator controlled the vehicles, which were also supervised by Ohmio's control center.

Still, Port Authority officials hope the demonstration builds off a vehicle test done at the airport last year with French autonomous vehicle manufacturer Navya and is a step toward advancing the technology on public transportation.

“Our hope is through this test, and others that we did previously in 2022, to find the right first application for how these and other autonomous vehicles can help serve as a piece of the journey for the customer to get from maybe an airport facility out to a parking lot, or something similar,” said Seth Wainer, program director for innovation for the Port Authority.

Mohammed Hikmet, executive chairman of Ohmio, said in the statement: “Our demonstration today is the embodiment of our shared commitment to innovation and the pursuit of cutting-edge, passenger-centric solutions. Together, we are shaping the future of autonomous transit, providing a safer, more efficient transportation experience for all.”

Autonomous vehicles use technology to limit human control of the vehicle, according to a fact sheet compiled by the University of Michigan. In recent years, companies such as Tesla and Waymo have made progress in the automated driving arena.

But a 2022 survey by the Pew Research Center found that many U.S. adults think that broad use of automated vehicles is a bad idea.

Even if they had the opportunity, nearly 60% of Americans said they would not want to ride in an autonomous vehicle, according to the survey.

The vehicles shown during Thursday’s demonstration have several features that’ll allow them to brake before an obstruction in the road or stop during an emergency, officials said.

Moreover, the proximity of the vehicles, also called platooning, increases the number of passengers who can be transported at once.

Officials say each shuttle is about $300,000. Comparatively, an electric bus costs approximately $1 million.

The Port Authority will host another autonomous vehicle demonstration at Newark Liberty International Airport in July. There, an autonomous shuttle is expected to operate in mixed traffic, officials said.

— With Ed Quinn

By Tiffany Cusaac-Smith

tiffany.cusaac-smith@newsday.com@T_Cusaac

Education: Howard University 

Tiffany Cusaac-Smith came to Newsday in 2023 after being a race and history reporter at USA TODAY, where she wrote enterprise and spot articles examining how the past shapes the present. Previously, she worked as the race and justice reporter at the USA TODAY Network of New York, covering issues such as criminal justice reform, housing, environmental justice, health care and politics. At The Journal News/lohud.com in Westchester County, she covered Yonkers, the state's third-largest city. She also worked at The Associated Press in Atlanta.

Honors and Awards: Criminal justice reporting fellowship with the National Press Foundation;  New York News Publishers Association award for distinguished investigative reporting;  Contributed reporting for Best of Gannett honor; Member of Table Stakes, a program funded by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund and managed by the American Press Institute to transform local news.