Autonomous Vehicles

The Self-Driving Bus of the Near-Term, Realistic Future
It might be fun to imagine a a world filled with self-driving cars, reducing traffic and improving safety with one silver bullet. The more realistic short-term scenario, however, deploys low-speed, self-driving buses on private campuses.

Roboboats, err...Roboats May Soon Navigate Amsterdam's Canals
Small, self-navigating boats may soon ferry around passengers and cargo on Amsterdam's famed canals, with a prototype scheduled to hit the water next year.

The Bicyclists' Manifesto for an Autonomous Vehicle Future
"Policy goals" won't be enough to protect bicyclists once the cars start driving themselves. Strong standards will be necessary to govern the interactions between cars and bikes in an autonomous future.

Why Autonomous Vehicles Probably Won't Induce Sprawl
There are a few good reasons why a worldwide fleet of autonomous vehicles will not necessarily lead to a new era of sprawl.

The Big Challenge for Driverless Cars: Convincing People to Give Up Control
The latest episode of TransitTrends, a serial YouTube show by moovel, examines the question of whether or not we're ready for autonomous vehicles.

Will New Transportation Technologies Affect Lower Income Households?
Kevin Cashman, a Truthout researcher, asks in this op-ed if lower income people will not only be left out from the transportation technology revolution, e.g., EVs, AVs, car-hailing, but will they be hurt by it?

Will First Fatality Affect the Development of Self-Driving Cars?
A May 7 crash of a Model S Tesla in Florida may have outsized implications for the future of driverless technology. The details of the single-fatality crash were made public in a June 30 blog by Tesla though they were reported immediately to NHTSA.

Friday Funny: An Old Meme Scores Points Against New Transportation Tech
You remember the one showing the amount of space occupied by 60 people on a bike, 60 people on a bus, and 60 people in cars? It's also helpful for making a convenient point about Uber and self-driving cars.

Sidewalk Labs and Transportation For America to Develop Connected Streets
Sidewalk Labs has teamed up with Transportation for America in the hopes of better connecting transportation technology with desired transportation outcomes.

U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer Writes in Favor of Self-Driving Cars
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a famous advocate for alternative transportation, has thrown his support behind the epoch-changing potential of self-driving cars.
Beverly Hills Planning for Self-Driving Shuttles, Connecting to Transit
A city known for its opposition to transit might be on the cutting edge of first-last mile technology innovation.

Slot-Based Design Could Eliminate Traffic Lights
An MIT study determined that traffic lights, and their inefficiencies, could be eliminated if all vehicles were equipped to regulate their speed and "batch" together as they approach intersections.

Study: Self-Driving Cars Likely to Restore 70% of Lost Faith in Humanity
A new study also finds reason to believe that self-driving cars will make everyone nicer and generally more affable that any point in human history since the advent of the car.

No Business as Usual in an Autonomous Vehicle Future
Among the reasons to reconsider new investments in expanded roadway capacity: the impending revolution in transportation that will arrive when cars start driving themselves.

Google's Self-Driving Car Had a Big Week
Breaking news came in a pair this week for Google's self-driving car technology.
When Regressive is Progressive
With the two Democrat candidates debating who is the real progressive, it would be interesting to see how they would respond, if asked, about President Obama's proposed $10-per-barrel fee to fund a 21st Century Clean Transportation System.

Obama's Bold Transportation Funding Proposal Likely to Go Nowhere
President Obama, long opposed to increasing the gas tax, has proposed a $10-per-barrel oil fee to be paid by energy companies. It will fund his 21st Century Clean Transportation System to reduce carbon emissions and promote new vehicle technology.
Demographic Changes Spell Trouble Ahead for Auto Industry
It's not only young adults who are delaying in getting drivers licenses, but a drop in licenses among all age groups according to a new analysis of license data from 1983-2014 by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

Impacts of Self-Driving Cars on Bicycle Planning
This article considers the impacts of driverless cars, or autonomous vehicles, on bicycle planning and what a 'low stress' bicycle route may look like in the future.

Google and Ford Partner-Up to Develop Self-Driving Cars
Google and Ford have partnered to bring together their software know-how with their auto building know-how as the launch of autonomous cars moves one step closer.
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