As skepticism about the viability of autonomous vehicles mounts in the media, one company takes on a publicity stunt at one of the busiest locations in the world.
"Coast Autonomous, a new entry in the crowded self-driving vehicle market, kicked off a day of demonstrations on Broadway in New York’s crowded Times Square," reports Jeremy Kaplan. The company chose the location in part to showcase its confidence in the technology.
"Coast’s first vehicle, called the P-1 Shuttle, is a bi-directional van that looks normal from the outside," writes Kaplan. "Inside, it’s basically a bathtub on wheels, with no seats for a driver or passengers and no space for a driver at all."
Coast technology is also behind the Navya shuttle on the Las Vegas Strip that was involved in a crash in November 2017.
FULL STORY: First self-driving shuttle coasts into New York’s Times Square

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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