ATL Spoke, a new autonomous transit pilot from Beep and the Atlanta Beltline, is now in service and open to the public in Southwest Atlanta, operating four Karsan Autonomous e-JEST vehicles under a 12-month program funded by the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority. Beep describes ATL Spoke as the first autonomous public transit service in the City of Atlanta. The deployment combines Karsan’s production vehicle platform, SAE Level 4 automation software from ADASTEC, and fleet supervision through Beep’s AutonomOS platform.
Highlights
- Four Karsan Autonomous e-JEST vehicles operate the service, supervised through Beep’s operations control center.
- The 12-month pilot is funded by the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority and will evaluate neighborhood circulation alongside existing MARTA service.
- Karsan reports more than 10,000 units of the e-JEST base vehicle produced globally, including over 1,000 electric versions operating across Europe, North America, and Japan.
- ADASTEC’s flowride.ai SAE Level 4 software is designed for automated operation without onboard human intervention, according to the company.
A First-Mile, Last-Mile Pilot for the Beltline
The Atlanta Beltline frames the service as a test of how autonomous transit can close connectivity gaps around existing transit modes.
“As we seek to create an integrated and connected transportation network, ATL Spoke showcases the way innovative thinking can solve for the first-mile, last-mile connectivity challenges when we work with partners like MARTA, the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority, and Beep,” said Clyde Higgs, President & CEO of Atlanta Beltline. “This project is piloting the future of neighborhood mobility in a way that improves access to transit and opportunity.”
Over the 12-month run, the pilot will evaluate how autonomous transit can support flexible, cost-effective neighborhood circulation while complementing existing MARTA service.
What Vehicles Does ATL Spoke Use?
The service runs four Karsan Autonomous e-JEST vehicles, a production platform Beep partnered with Karsan and ADASTEC to integrate into a turnkey transit offering. According to the companies, the e-JEST meets all federal motor vehicle safety standards and accessibility requirements, has completed federal bus testing, and is backed by an OEM warranty and series-production capability.
“At Karsan, we believe the future of mobility is electric, autonomous, and intelligent. Together with Beep and ADASTEC, we are proud to bring a fully integrated autonomous transit solution to the Atlanta Beltline community,” said Karsan CEO Okan Bas.
Fleet Supervision Through AutonomOS
ATL Spoke is managed through AutonomOS, Beep’s AV-agnostic supervision and management platform. The system handles vehicle and cabin supervision, fleet orchestration, and integrated workflow management through Beep’s operations control center.
“Atlanta is a forward-thinking city and an ideal place to demonstrate the potential impact of automated systems as additional tools cities and transit planners can use to address connectivity and access to traditional modes,” said Clayton Tino, President and COO of Beep. “Individual AVs can safely drive themselves, but there is still a need for coordinated operation and supervision. Our AutonomOS™ platform fills this gap by enabling operators to manage automated transit networks through a single pane of glass, incorporating AVs into existing modes in complex service areas.”
SAE Level 4 Automation From ADASTEC
The vehicles run ADASTEC’s flowride.ai SAE Level 4 automated driving software with the company’s sensor suite, which ADASTEC says has been used in commercial deployments on open public roads worldwide. The company states the stack is designed for fully automated operation in mixed traffic without onboard human intervention and for reliable operation in adverse weather.
“ATL Spoke represents an important milestone in demonstrating how SAE Level 4 automated bus technology can move from individual deployments to coordinated fleet operations in a real public transportation network. With four Autonomous e-JEST vehicles operating in the same deployment, the project highlights the scalability of automated transit in a complex urban environment. By integrating ADASTEC’s flowride.ai platform with Beep’s operational expertise and Karsan’s proven e-JEST vehicle platform, we are delivering safe, efficient, and accessible automated transit at scale,” said Dr. Ali Peker, CEO of ADASTEC.
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