If you focus on getting yourself comfortable talking to people you don't know, that would help alleviate your shyness.
My suggestion is to do a google search in your city for things you are interested in and join a group / club. That will bring you in touch with people that you don't know but share your same interests.
If you like books, search your library's website for book clubs. If you play chess, google search and see if there's a group in your city.
When you find a group, smile a lot and say - hey, how's it going? You would already have a shared interest, so you can always ask about that. If someone asks you if you're dating anyone, you can just smile and say you just haven't met the right person yet.
If you get close to some people in the group / club you have joined, ask if they want to go somewhere for coffee. Have a group date - it will take the pressure off you. Observe how other people interact with each other. It can give you clues on what questions they ask others they are interested in and how they visit with one another.
You will gain confidence in doing something with other people which will lead someone to ask you or - or give you confidence to ask someone to go to coffee with you one-on-one. Good luck.
