Dallas Area Rapid Transit is awaiting approval of a grant application that would bring three self-driving shuttles to The University of Texas at Dallas.

The Green Automated Mobile Electric Shuttles project is a collaboration among DART, UT Dallas and Easy Mile—a company that develops and deploys autonomous vehicles. The total projected cost of the endeavor is roughly $2.3 million, 62% of which would come from the Federal Transit Administration's Integrated Mobility Innovation Grant program, according to a DART spokesperson.

Funding from the project would pay for three Easy Mile shuttles as well as for charging stations; training; maintenance; data collection and sharing; and a comprehensive evaluation study. If approved, the shuttles would run for two years in order to test the effectiveness of an automated shuttle feeder service, the spokesperson said.

The shuttles would transport riders to the Route 883 bus stop, which connects UT Dallas to DART's CityLine/Bush Rail station near the intersection of US 75 and President George Bush Turnpike.

The project would also integrate the Easy Mile mobile app into DART's GoPass app. Riders would be able to order an Easy Mile shuttle and track the vehicle's location.

The Federal Transit Administration is expected to announce grant awardees by the end of this year, a spokesperson said.