Cities Need to Incorporate Autonomous Technology in Infrastructure Plan, National League of Cities Recommends
As cities craft long-term visions for their transportation grids, planners should begin to incorporate ways to facilitate a reliance on autonomous vehicles, the National League of Cities recommends in a report.
“There are certainly more questions than answers, but with [autonomous vehicles] 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,” according to the report, published the week of April 17.
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“Deploying [autonomous vehicle] technology in public transit grids is an exciting opportunity to cut costs while increasing service and safety," according to the report, "and could potentially help cities rethink how to structure and finance their public transit options.”
On April 24, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration officials will host a listening session on autonomous trucks as a way to outline guidelines for the industry. The event will be held at the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s workshop in Atlanta.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last year issued guidelines on autonomous cars and outlined state and federal roles managing the technology. Across the trucking industry, proponents of autonomous technology argue longhaul trucking eventually will develop systems that would facilitate driverless routes.
