USDOT Designates 10 Proving Grounds for Automated Vehicle Testing
Ten applicants in nine states have been designated as proving grounds for automated vehicle testing, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced Jan. 19. According to USDOT, the selected proving grounds all have different facilities that can be used to gauge safety, manage various roadways and conditions and handle various types of vehicles.
“The designated proving grounds will collectively form a community of practice around safe testing and deployment,” said outgoing Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “This group will openly share best practices for the safe conduct of testing and operations as they are developed, enabling the participants and the general public to learn at a faster rate and accelerating the pace of safe deployment.”
The proving grounds chosen from among more than 60 applicants were:
1. City of Pittsburgh and the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute.
2. Texas AV Proving Grounds Partnership.
3. U.S. Army Aberdeen (Maryland) Test Center.
4. American Center for Mobility, or ACM, at Willow Run (Michigan).
5. Contra Costa (California) Transportation Authority & GoMentum Station.
6. San Diego Association of Governments.
7. Iowa City Area Development Group.
8. University of Wisconsin-Madison.
9. Central Florida Automated Vehicle Partners.
10. North Carolina Turnpike Authority.
According to USDOT, the proving grounds will foster innovations that can safely transform personal and commercial mobility, expand road capacity and assist disadvantaged people and communities. The proving grounds are also expected to provide insights into optimal big data usage and help establish a community of practice in automated vehicle research.
