City Transportation Officials Express Concerns and Hopes for Self-Driving Vehicles
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) calls on everyone involved in automated driving technologies to “address head-on the destructive potential” and to ensure such technologies are used to “provide access and mobility to all.”
NACTO, an association of over 45 cities in North America, is most well-known for its innovative design guides for urban streets and bikeways. The city transportation departments serving Austin, Boston, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle number among its members.
NACTO released nine policy recommendations (PDF) on automated vehicles that speak to state government and federal officials, as well as vehicle manufacturers. The recommendations address concerns about safety and increased traffic and promote solutions that lead to fewer vehicles on local streets and highways.
From the press release:
“Technology’s potential to dramatically increase our mobility without pouring more and more concrete requires leadership and action by cities,” said Seleta Reynolds, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and NACTO President. “NACTO’s new policy on automated vehicles offers a roadmap to a more sustainable city through technology.”
NACTO opposes partially automated vehicles except on expressways (interstates or motorways), taking a position in the technology debate best represented by Google’s car without a steering wheel versus Tesla’s incremental automation via overnight download. To ensure the safety of people walking and bicycling, NACTO recommends that speeds on city streets do not exceed 25 miles per hour.
NACTO pleads that urban transportation professionals be consulted during planning and regulatory processes led by federal and state governments. Because they manage urban travel on a day-to-day basis, city transportation agencies have knowledge crucial to the successful transition to automated driving. Shared vehicles, automated mass transit, improved data, and efficient freight deliveries also receive NACTO’s attention.
