6
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
The development of autonomous 1 vehicle ( AV ) technology has recently shifted into overdrive . This rapid escalation has been signaled by major partnerships and acquisitions between tech firms and traditional automakers as they all aggressively pursue a technological edge in the race for deployment of fully autonomous vehicles . We ’ ve seen General Motors ( GM ) announce a partnership with Lyft , and Fiat team up with Google . Illustrating the important role that software is going to play in the future of automation , GM also acquired Cruise Automation . Manufacturers have invested significant capital in AV and positioned themselves for near future production . 2017 brought exciting new developments , including a partnership between Daimler and Uber in which the former will supply self-driving cars . 2 GM also unveiled its new carsharing brand , Maven , and Ford announced plans to release a full fleet of autonomous ridesharing cars by 2021.3 Mobility is changing , and the auto industry is competing to stay ahead of the curve .
Technology companies have also positioned themselves to be competitive in this space . Google logged 2 million autonomous miles in October 2016 , soon thereafter spinning off its autonomous vehicle department into Waymo , a stand-alone company within the Alphabet conglomerate . Uber announced street-testing for autonomous vehicles using its ride sharing app in Pittsburgh in November , and celebrated a successful field delivery of beer with its autonomous truck Otto in the same month .
Embracing the potential benefits that transportation technologies offer , cities are also exploring and announcing partnerships around the testing of autonomous vehicles . Nutonomy launched the first autonomous ride hailing service , beating Uber by only two weeks , in Singapore — as well as later in the year forming a partnership with Boston . 4 Moreover , the Department of Transportation ( DOT ) has announced 10 proving grounds5 to move autonomous vehicles testing from controlled to real world vehicle operating environments , with a focus on data sharing to develop best practices and future guidance .
The year also witnessed historic regulatory milestones with the release the U . S . Department of Transportation ’ s ( DOT ) Federal Automated Vehicles Policy 6 through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( NHTSA ), which received over 1,100 public comments . 7 As the DOT policy and comments clearly illustrate , one of the major challenges facing cities is how to promote a regulatory foundation that ensures safety while promoting the continued innovation of autonomous vehicles through increased testing . The fast pace of technological advancements tests the traditional foundations around government policymaking and procurement .
The number and complexity of issues that city officials and regulators have confronted in 2016 will continue to grow . This will be exacerbated by the continued promise of deployment of autonomous vehicles on our roads and the increased comingling of varying levels of automated vehicles with traditional non-autonomous vehicles . While widespread deployment of autonomous vehicles is not here yet , nearly every major car manufacturer has set a deadline of producing fully autonomous cars by 2021 , with China ’ s Baidu aiming for 2019 and Tesla aiming for the end of 2017 .
This represents both an important challenge and opportunity for cities . With the many benefits that AV technology promises , including reduction in traffic deaths , increased mobility for the disabled and seniors , reduced congestion , and enhanced connectivity for all demographics , cities have a unique opportunity to be proactive to not only engage in smart planning for AVs , but to also shape the policy around AVs to ensure such benefits are fully realized . Such smart planning includes coming to the table to address issues around public policies needed for the safe deployment and operation of AVs , including addressing sensitive issues like privacy and cybersecurity , land use , enforcement and regulation and technology requirements and municipal capacities in future infrastructure planning .
Following NHTSA ’ s release of the Federal Automated Vehicles Policy and subsequent releases of policy documents on Vehicle to Vehicle ( V2V ) and Vehicle to Infrastructure ( V2I ) technology deployment , this resource explores the concerns and opportunities this transformative technology represents for cities . At this point , there are certainly more questions than answers , but with AVs currently operating on our roads , cities are encouraged to start discussing and considering the policies , outreach , and legal issues that need to be addressed in order to position themselves for a smooth transition to an automated future .
The following draws out the language set forth in NHTSA ’ s Federal Automated Vehicles Policy to present issues and questions for cities to consider as they navigate the ever- changing world of AV technology .
GOVLINK » ISSUE 2 2017