This city has a vision for mass transit that doesn’t involve city buses

Enlarge / Marvin Tran, a student at the University of Texas, Arlington, takes a city-subsidized Via shuttle to get to school. (credit: City of Arlington, Texas)

Arlington, Texas, has the dubious distinction of being the largest American city without a conventional bus system. Sandwiched between Dallas and Fort Worth, the town of nearly 400,000 people launched a single bus line called the MAX in 2013-but even that got shut down last year.

But just as some developing countries have leapfrogged past landline telephones in favor of cellular technology, Arlington is trying to turn its status as a mass-transit laggard into an advantage by embracing cutting-edge transportation technologies.

Last week, the city announced a new partnership with the self-driving car startup Drive.ai. Starting in October, free Drive.ai shuttles will circulate on public streets in Arlington's Entertainment District, past a Six Flags amusement park and the stadiums where the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers play.

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