Autonomous Vehicles (AV) are approaching the long-promised watershed moment as technology improves and the regulatory landscape evolves to better promote this mode of mobility as a potentially cleaner and safer alternative to standard vehicles.
During the past year, STV’s mobility technologies practice has successfully partnered with several public agencies to guide them through planning, pilots and demonstrations, as they consider the transition to AV technology. One key example is the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) in Houston, TX, which piloted an AV shuttle as a link between bus and rail to connect Texas Southern University and Houston’s 3rd Ward with education, food and additional transportation services. This project was delivered in concert with Perrone Robotics, Phoenix Motor Cars, AECOM, and Transcend Engineering & Planners. Another example – which was also in partnership with Perrone Robotics – was Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, which demonstrated a shuttle between Terminal A and the P2 AirTrain Station. In both cases, our team provided project management services, that helped define the operation design domain, reviewed roadway conditions, and supported the testing and demonstration of AVs.
We expect that this trend of focused AV utilization pilots will evolve soon into scaled deployments. Advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning and intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and sensor technologies have made consumers and public officials alike more confident in using AVs. Meanwhile, increasing federal and state legislation mandating the decarbonization of our transportation network via investing in more battery- and hydrogen-electric vehicles may soon include AVs as a first-mile/last-mile connection solution with public transit. EV/AVs are a greener way to enhance operational efficiency and logistics in our national freight network.
That means STV’s mobility technologies team will continue to leverage our full suite of technical and policy expertise to create tailored solutions across all the markets we serve. Our team often refers to this current moment as the “third revolution of mobility” – highlighting the prioritization on mobility solutions that are connected, automated, shared and electric. And while a revolutionary moment is often an exciting one, with it typically comes great challenges that need to be overcome.
Regarding technological challenges, when working with our clients, we typically emphasize solutions that put the “C” back in “CAV,” meaning identifying the holistic benefits and opportunities surrounding connected AVs (or CAVs).
CAVs connect the digital world with automated technologies. This includes sensors, cameras and GPS in the cars connecting to the internet and the edge radios and telecommunications networks communicating with digital roadway infrastructure, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and other CAVs. And, since most traditional vehicles are already connected, we have already experienced the safety and mobility benefits of connecting the entire transportation ecosystem.
Currently, a connected vehicle and an autonomous vehicle are not the same. But the expectation is that as the industry continues to recognize the importance of having all these intricate technological systems communicate to each other, all AVs will eventually be CAVs. In the meantime, we will continue to promote this concept and help agencies build the infrastructure to make it a reality for both CAVs and traditional vehicles.
While many advocates tout the safety of AVs due to their ability to remove human driver error from the equation, the benefits don’t stop there. CAVs will allow communities to create smarter, more affordable, environmentally conscious and safer transportation systems. That is accomplished by developing connected technology via traffic signals, crosswalk cameras, and other physical signage that can communicate the movements and tendencies of pedestrians and bicycles to the vehicles. Planning for CAV deployment that can support the vehicles and the technology are helping us achieve the broader goals of a citizen-first city. Unlike previous transportation revolutions, let’s make sure the technology is working for us, not us designing the city and the infrastructure around the technology.
Implementing CAVs that leverage vehicle-to-everything communication requires financial and regulatory investment in existing infrastructure, most notably roadways and traffic management systems. That will require coordination amongst state and federal regulatory bodies with local governments and private companies to identify and innovate these infrastructure solutions.
Other regulatory challenges include the lack of standardization within the AV industry. Currently, federal regulations for AVs that could solve the standardization issue do not exist. Meaning states have had to develop their own rules and regulations creating a fragmented framework from state to state. This creates challenges for manufacturers and developers who are instrumental in AV fleet deployment, as well as state and local governments who must work within their authorities to manage operations on their roads. There are also regulatory challenges related to safety and liability and cybersecurity – especially in a connected AV system – that will need to be addressed before AVs can be seamlessly integrated into a transportation network.
STV’s mobility technologies team excels in helping our clients and partners navigate this framework. Our track record in establishing pilot programs and use cases establishing the operational efficiency and practicality of AV technology speaks for itself. We also understand that AV deployment looks different from client to client and community to community. In acknowledging both the current limitations and the untapped potential of AV technology, together, with our clients and communities, we aspire to develop the solutions that stand to have a positive generational impact on our mobility framework.
