Wanted in the Autonomous Vehicles Debate: A Place at the Table for Local Authorities

How much should the federal government involve local authorities in crafting autonomous vehicle regulations? Officials in New York say they aren't being included enough.

1 minute read

June 15, 2018, 6:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"New York City’s top transportation official says cities are getting left out of federal efforts to prepare for the rise of self-driving cars and trucks on the nation’s roadways," reports Bill Lucia.

"Polly Trottenberg, commissioner of the city’s department of transportation, told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday that, to date, the feds have not 'meaningfully involved' cities in developing policies for the vehicles," adds Lucia.

Trottenberg specifically called out the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for not engaging with local authorities. Both the House and the Senate are working on legislation that would establish "a national framework" for autonomous vehicles.

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