Atoka officials start work to establish bus stops for autonomous shuttle pilot; grant to cover construction

The Atoka City Council approved staff to work with the city's operations manager to identify and establish bus stops for an autonomous shuttle pilot, with the project largely funded by a grant, staff said.

City staff described plans for a handful of stops that will be ADA-compliant and include signage and benches; the grant will pay for concrete pads and installation. Staff told council that Walmart had agreed to host a stop, while Pilot declined; other private-property hosts are still being negotiated. City staff said the vehicles will run a short fixed route connecting Pilot, Walmart, Alliance Health and downtown and that some stops may require 5 to 6 feet of concrete to provide accessible boarding areas.

Councilmembers asked for renderings and maps of proposed stops and for staff to work with the operations manager (referred to as Danny in the meeting) to identify right-of-way or easement constraints. Staff said the grant will cover construction costs and that they will return to council with a list of exact stop locations and routing for formal approval. One staff member noted the project is on a short timeline because vehicle procurement and benchtop orders must occur ahead of a planned launch next summer; staff said vehicles will have a pilot (operator) during initial operations for safety and training.

Councillors did not vote on specific stop locations at the meeting; they authorized staff to proceed with site identification and coordination so a formal routing and location list can be brought back to council for final approval.