The Virginian-Pilot reports an interesting story about the difficulty of conducting transit planning at the dawn of the autonomous vehicle age.
There are no huge revelations, but it’s an insightful case study of yet another subset of jobs that self-driving cars will change, although maybe not “disrupt”.
“We do have some plans that we’d like to do in the next few years,” she said. “I think the topic has brought us more questions than answers.”
Questions like:
- When will the technology fully be adopted and what impact will it have on traffic flow? How will automated cars and regular drivers interact?
- If cars are able to move closer to one another without drivers, how much more capacity will an existing road be able to have? HRTPO says a current interstate lane can handle nearly 2,300 cars an hour. Self-driving technology means maybe 20 or 30 percent more could occupy that same stretch of highway.
- Would the technology make future projects currently being planned become obsolete? If so, how does that change funding and project priorities?
- How will drivers’ safety be affected?
- How does the law adapt to impaired individuals in an automated vehicle? How do cities make up for speeding or parking ticket revenue if they become a thing of the past?
- What happens to land use, especially parking, if the cars can store themselves in less-dense areas? Will people move farther away from work if they don’t have to pay attention during a commute?
- What will it mean for long-term deals like the 58-year tolling agreement between the state and Elizabeth River Crossing to run the Midtown and Downtown Tunnels? A spokesperson said the contract doesn’t mention any stipulations for what would happen if self-driving cars change transportation, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be amended in the future.
Originally published at www.davidincalifornia.com on January 3, 2016.
David Silver 