Contra Costa’s Momentum Station pilot shows early public use of autonomous shuttles and worker retraining pathways

Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Tim Hail briefed the California Transportation Commission on Momentum Station — the agency’s large autonomous‑vehicle test bed — and the Presto pilot program funded in part by a U.S. DOT Automated Driving Systems grant. Hail said Presto tested three primary use cases: business‑park first/last mile service, senior mobility, and wheelchair‑accessible trips to medical facilities. The program operated on public roads and in mixed public settings, logging pilots that served several thousand passengers annually.

Hail described a workforce approach to ensure operators are not displaced: existing transit operators were trained and re‑certified as autonomous vehicle operators through a combined online and behind‑the‑wheel program, creating a career pathway rather than a replacement model. "We actually developed an online course ... went out to Momentum Station and take behind‑the‑wheel training ... and they were able to go to DMV and get their actual driver autonomous vehicle operator permit," he said. (Tim Hail)

Why this matters: The Presto pilots were among the first public deployments of level‑4 shuttles in California, and the CCTA work illustrates a model tying automation trials to workforce training and public‑sector operations rather than purely private on‑demand models.

Operational and safety notes: Hail emphasized operational readiness and emergency responder coordination, noting state heavy‑duty AV regulations and first‑responder communications are central to safe deployment. He also described data collection efforts: pilot programs collected vehicle disengagement and operational telemetry to support safety cases and national research.

Next steps and takeaways: CCTA is expanding workforce training, developing the Momentum Innovation Alliance with labor and academia, and working with peer agencies to scale operations. Commissioners and staff invited further interagency conversation and expressed interest in seeing the program’s evaluation data and the demonstration video that CCTA will share with the Commission.