The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) released the second edition of a Blueprint for Autonomous Urbanism this week, establishing what they consider policies necessary for autonomous technologies to improve transportation goals in cities.
The plans were overseen by a steering committee of NACTO’s 81 member cities and transit agencies, and focus on the steps needed to ensure the organization’s goal of an equitable, people-first city. Failure to do so, they believe, could lead to increases in driving, greenhouse gas emissions and diminished public space in cities.
“When the automotive age swept the nation a century ago, cities responded not by adapting cars and trucks to the varied uses of the street, but with a relentless clearcutting of obstacles from curb to curb,” Janette Sadik-Khan, Principal at Bloomberg Associates and NACTO Chair, said. “As we anticipate the arrival of self-driving vehicles on city streets today, we have a historic opportunity to correct these mistakes, which starts with a new blueprint for cities.”
Key policy areas for the organization include the prioritizing of on-street transit and increasing its efficiency, making driving easier and cheaper, guaranteeing the safe and protected collection of data by cities and companies, and development of sophisticated urban freight policies that group deliveries to reduce the number of freight trips and increase efficiency and safety.
“City governments must work rapidly to change how street space is designed and allocated before yesterday’s values become enshrined in tomorrow’s concrete,” Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of NACTO, said. “Taking proactive steps now means a future where people come first in an autonomous age. The Blueprint for Autonomous Urbanism outlines the policies for a thriving city: steps to improve our streets and cities now and with the technological advances to come.”