The future has arrived at SouthWest Transit (SWT).

The transit organization invited local leaders to SouthWest Station in Eden Prairie on Monday to unveil the first autonomous shuttles in the Twin Cities metro area. Those in attendance were treated to short rides in the new fleet of autonomous vehicles. The afternoon event featured speakers, including Erik Hansen, CEO of SouthWest Transit.

“This is really a story about partnerships, because there are many people that it took to put this all together,” Hansen said. “This [initiative] is really central to our mission at SWT about serving people, serving our customers, and connecting people from where they are to where they want to go, and doing that in innovative and really fascinating ways that represent the future of transit.”

SouthWest Transit has signed a three-year contract with May Mobility, an autonomous driving technology company, to provide enhanced on-demand transportation services throughout the southwest metro area. The autonomous service will kick off in the coming weeks.

According to SouthWest transit officials, the new service will connect riders to residential, employment and shopping districts while also providing essential first- and last-mile transportation to key mobility hubs in Eden Prairie.

May Mobility plans to deploy five wheelchair-accessible vehicles that feature an ADA-compliant wheelchair ramp and securement system once the service officially launches.

“We’re excited to be the first to bring this innovative transit solution to the Twin Cities,” Hansen said. “By expanding on our wildly popular Southwest Prime microtransit service, we will stay on the cutting edge and ensure that we can provide a premium transit service for years to come.”