Autonomous Vehicles Will Be at Reston Development

Self-driving vehicles will play a role in a massive new development on the boards for Northern Virginia.

Brookfield Properties has announced that the first phase of the Halley Rise development off the Dulles Access Road and Reston Parkway (map) is breaking ground in October. The 36-acre Reston development will deliver 1,500 residential units along with 1.5 million square feet of office, 250,000 square feet of retail, — including a Wegmans grocery store — and five acres of open space.

One of the most interesting things about the new development, however, is its use of autonomous vehicles (AVs) for circulation throughout the site. In June, AV technology company Optimus Ride began deploying three self-driving vehicles in the office park formerly known as Reston Crescent to shuttle employees between their office buildings to parking lots within the site.

Employees can reserve rides or summon rides on demand from the AVs, which solely operate interior to the Halley Rise development. Optimus Ride will demonstrate the AV shuttle program at the groundbreaking event.

The Wegmans-anchored first phase of the development is expected to deliver in 2022. Morris Adjmi Architects is the master planner and MV+A Architects designed the first phase.