A new guide released by the National League of Cities (NLC) provides key information and an overview of autonomous vehicle technology, manufacturing, public policy questions, municipal coordination, and infrastructure investment.
“Autonomous Vehicles: A Policy Preparation Guide” seeks to prepare cities for the introduction of autonomous vehicles in their communities, providing a more city-centered supplement to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2016 Federal Automated Vehicles Policy.
“Autonomous vehicles are rolling out on city streets across the country at a rapid pace – much faster than anticipated just a few years ago,” Brooks Rainwater, senior executive and director of the Center for City Solutions at the NLC, said. “While state and federal entities have always played a role in regulating transportation, cities are where this new technology is being deployed now.”
Since driverless vehicles are already on community streets, the NLC said this policy guide is an important and necessary step in automated vehicle integration. Recommendations made in the report included policy development conversations that include the most effective people – such as city staff involved with planning and transportation, IT, and law enforcement – and identifying infrastructure changes and data needs required to take advantage of an automated mobility future.