AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
PUBLIC POLICY CONSIDERATIONS
What opportunities do cities have to mold state AV policy?
NHTSA has provided guidance on a Model State Policy,
and has asserted its regulatory authority over vehicle
safety by cautioning states from regulating vehicle
performance.14 However, the Federal AV Policy does
preserve traditional state and local authorities over
enforcement of traffic laws and regulating motor
vehicle insurance and liability.
Cities should think about how they would like to
see AVs deployed both in a public and private capacity,
as well as the type of state agency and regulatory
structure that would best suit them. Any regulations
should be focused around safety, which is the stated
primary focus of the Federal AV Policy. Cities have an
opportunity to come together and lobby their state
governments to advance their concerns around the
safe operation of AVs in their communities, including
insurance requirements and local approval of any
proposed AV testing in a city. Obtaining local approval
also assists with promoting public outreach and
education of AVs that may be operating on local roads.
How can state and federal AV policies help unite
smaller and larger cities’ transportation grids?
As states begin to craft their policies concerning AVs,
cities should think about how state AV policy might
impact smaller as well as larger cities, suburbs as
well as urban cores. Through a regional and state
investment and regulatory strategy, cities can
strengthen the ties between urban cores and suburbs,
or between different parts of the state. An example of
this would be allocating an entire lane to AVs during
rush hour on a central commuter artery, as well as
financing the V2I infrastructure needed not only within
the urban core but throughout the commuter system
to allow for the platooning15 of private and public
vehicles, such as buses and long- haul trucks.
As part of its planning process, cities and their
municipal or regional planning authorities should
start to integrate transportation technology into long-
term plans, and consider how new transportation
technologies can complement existing public
transportation and lead to more effective use of public
dollars for future infrastructure projects. Deploying
AV technology in public transit grids is an exciting
opportunity to cut costs while increasing service and
safety, and could potentially help cities rethink how to
structure and finance their public transit options.
GOVLINK » ISSUE 2 2017
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