Obama Fiscal 2017 Budget to Request $4 Billion for Vehicle Automation
President Obama’s fiscal 2017 budget request will include nearly $4 billion over a decade for the development of automated vehicles, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said Jan. 14.
“We are on the cusp of a new era in automotive technology with enormous potential to save lives, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and transform mobility for the American people,” Foxx said.
Added Mark Rosekind, administrator at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: "We will work with state partners toward creating a consistent national policy on these innovations, provide options now and into the future for manufacturers seeking to deploy autonomous vehicles, and keep our safety mission paramount at every stage.”
Specifically, the Obama request would seek nearly $4 billion to pay for pilot projects that test connected-vehicle systems at specific corridors around the country. The projects would include industry stakeholders across commercial and passenger sectors to craft a framework for autonomous vehicles.
The White House is expected to unveil its fiscal 2017 budget request Feb. 9.
Reacting to the announcement, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Commerce Committee said, “The Department of Transportation’s announced readiness to remove obstacles for automated-vehicle technology, while still prioritizing safety, is an opportunity for this administration and Congress to work together. …I urge the administration to work collaboratively with both Congress and private sector innovators in setting program priorities.”
Across the trucking industry, manufacturers already are pursuing autonomous technology. Last year, Freightliner’s Inspiration became the first licensed autonomous-driving truck on public highways from the state of Nevada. Gov. Brian Sandoval has indicated he would like to see state transportation officials consider self-driving vehicles in the development of large-scale infrastructure expansion projects.
