The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) recently launched the Advance Mobility NC initiative.
The initiative aims to create a shared, autonomous, and connected multimodal transportation system that improves access and mobility of people and freight.
“At NCDOT, we are thinking ahead and always looking for opportunities to collaborate with other thought leaders, government entities and businesses to enhance our services and help us bring our vision for safer and more convenient transportation to fruition,” Multimodal Transportation Secretary Julie White said. “Advance Mobility NC is our strategic, shared vision for what mobility will be.”
The department is developing a three-year strategic plan and expects the plan to be completed and adopted by 2024. It will include deploying new mobility services, investing in existing infrastructure, partnering with industry and local governments, piloting new technologies, and supporting work force development.
The department also plans to invest in new technologies to improve mobility. These include advanced air mobility, autonomous transit vehicles, connected streets, freight transfer hubs, mobility hubs, and on-demand transportation services.
In 2020, NCDOT’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program launched the first demonstration flight in the United States of an uncrewed electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and NCDOT also deployed its first autonomous transit shuttles.