durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday,February 17,2022 | 6 The Whitby bus that drives itself will make its final loop this month. The announcement of the end of the four-month pilot project was made at the February Durham Region Transit Executive Committee (TEC) meeting. The Whitby Autonomous Vehicle Electric (WAVE) shuttled more than 250 passengers and racked up more than 2,390 kilometres in both autonomous and manual mode. The six-kilometre route, DRT (Durham Region Transit) 360, began and ended at the Whitby GO Station and made a loop through the Port Whitby area. The WAVE shuttle pilot project was the first-ever autonomous shuttle integrated into an existing transit service in Canada. DECEMBER CRASH The WAVE was involved in a single-vehicle collision in December, sending its lone occupant to hospital with critical injuries. A recent update confirmed the shuttle was operating in manual mode at the time of the incident, and that the hazard mitigation safety systems, used when in autonomous mode, were not engaged when the incident occurred. The shuttle was not in service at the time, and the lone the safety attendant who was operating the vehicle is expected to make a full recovery. The TEC was also recently informed that the shuttle manufacturer, Local Motors, is ceasing operations. However, the incident is not related to the closure of Local Motors, according to a Durham Region Transit press release. WHAT NOW? The project team will arrange for the removal of smart technology infrastructure and signage from the route. The project collected information on technology capabilities and limitations, weather, accessibility, insurance and policy surrounding autonomous vehicle integration into public transit. "The learnings from this deployment will help to shape the future of mobility within our local communities and across the globe," Tenille Houston, CEO of AutoGuardian by SmartCone. "The integration of automated technology at this level takes innovation, collaboration, and a forward-thinking mindset. I am thankful to all the project partners and the community for coming together to make it happen." Project partners are compiling data, which will help to inform future preparations for autonomous vehicles on public roads and public transit systems. The project was funded by the Government of Ontario's Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network, which is led by the Ontario Centre of Innovation, in addition to funding from project partners at the local, national and international levels. Local partners included the Town of Whitby, the Region of Durham and Ontario Tech University's Automotive Centre of Excellence for autonomous vehicle maintenance. WHITBY SELF-DRIVING BUS ENDING ITS ROUTE KRISTEN CALIS KCalis@durhamregion.com NEWS THE FOUR-MONTH PILOT PROJECT COLLECTED INFORMATION ON AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE USE BY PUBLIC TRANSIT The Whitby Autonomous Vehicle Electric (WAVE) has shuttled more than 250 passengers, and racked up more than 2,390 kilometres, but is coming to an end. Jason Liebregts/Metroland The Town of Whitby has partnered with the Region of Durham and The Salvation Army to make space available for a warming centre to open in the downtown area. The Salvation Army is hosting an overnight warming centre at 117 King St. in Whitby. It will open its doors at 11 p.m. and operates on a first come, first served basis, currently from Monday to Friday. As of Monday, Feb. 14, this location will be open seven days per week. MORE OVERNIGHT WARMING CENTRES IN DURHAM First Light Foundation of Hope (open seven days per week) at 253 Simcoe St. S. in Oshawa. Doors open at 10 p.m. and the centre operates on a first come, first served basis. Do Unto Others (DUO) Overnight Drop-in Centre (open seven days per week) at 454 Simcoe St. S. in Oshawa. Doors open at midnight and the centre operates on a first come, first served basis. Ajax Library (open only during cold weather alerts) at 55 Harwood Ave. S. in Ajax. Doors open at 7 p.m. Christian Faith Outreach Centre (CFOC) Warming Area (open seven days per week) at 158 Harwood Ave. S. in Ajax. Doors open at 9 p.m. and the centre operates on a first come, first served basis. CFOC (open only during cold weather alerts) at 910 Liverpool Rd. in Pickering, at the East Shore Community Centre gymnasium. Open from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekends. For transportation help, visit the Region of Durham's website. WHITBY OPENS OVERNIGHT WARMING CENTRE There is now an overnight warming centre in Whitby, which will be offered seven nights a week beginning Monday, Feb. 14. Metroland file photo Has the Omicron variant pushed more families to opt for virtual learning for the second half of the 2021-22 school year? New data shows both the Durham District School Board and Durham Catholic District School Board saw small increases in the number of elementary students learning virtually for second semester. At the DDSB about 1,000 elementary students are moving from in-person to virtual learning the week of Feb. 14, while about 500 will switch from virtual to in-person. The board offered only one opportunity for elementary students to switch learning modes this year. Approximately 6,155 DDSB elementary students will be learning virtually through DDSB@Home for the second half of the year, up from 5,717 in first semester. The board has about 52,700 elementary students total, those learning virtually currently represent about 11 per cent. It's a big drop from 2020-21, when the DDSB had about 15,000 elementary students learning virtually. At the DCDSB, families have been given the opportunity to switch learning modes at scheduled breaks including winter holidays and the end of first semester. In October 2021 the Catholic board had 957 elementary students in its virtual program as well as 348 high school students learning virtually through a hybrid program. Those numbers are up slightly for February with 421 secondary students in virtual and 990 elementary students. 'While the numbers indicate a general overall increase in virtual, which was precipitated by the Omicron surge, there actually has been movement from virtual to bricks and mortar as well," the board notes. About 90 Durham Catholic students have moved from virtual back to in-person classes. SMALL UPTICK IN STUDENTS CHOOSING VIRTUAL LEARNING SOME STUDENTS HAVE ALSO MOVED FROM VIRTUAL BACK TO IN-PERSON