On Friday, Jan. 26, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) offered free shuttle rides in a driverless shuttle bus traveling a one-block section of the Nicolet Mall, which is located in downtown Minneapolis. The rides were scheduled to continue, subject to weather conditions, on Jan. 27 and 28.

The rides were offered as part of the Super Bowl festivities taking place leading up to the game on Feb. 4 in Minneapolis. Approximately 80 people showed up to test out the vehicle on Jan. 26, and according to the Star Tribune, the vehicle received positive reviews. Shirley Moises called it “the wave of the future,” while Kyle Delahunt said the ride was “enjoyable.”

Delahunt said his family had planned on taking a ride in the vehicle because they wanted a Super Bowl experience without having to be downtown during the actual event. He said the ride made him “want it sooner rather than later.”

A product of EasyMile, the shuttle bus can hold up to 12 passengers, but the rides offered on Jan. 26 were limited to six seated riders. The vehicle traveled at five miles per hour, along a preprogrammed, GPS-guided path, and never got to close to its top speed of 25 miles per hour.

​Having spent the last month-plus testing the vehicle on a course in Monticello, Minnesota, MnDOT officials are now interested in seeing how people react to riding in a bus without a steering wheel or gas pedal. Testing of the vehicle is expected to continue until at least April.