Planning Ahead for an Autonomous Vehicle Future

Aarian Marshall writes about a recently released autonomous vehicle planning guide from the National Association of City Transportation Officials. It is the second version of the blueprint—the first was released two years ago—that presents a more cautious approach for cities to prepare for AV technology, drawing partly on the challenges that cities have more recently faced with rideshare and scooter companies.

The guide addresses issues such as road pricing for AVs and data-sharing policies with private companies. "NACTO [also] advises transportation officials to maintain control of the self-driving tests, demos, and deployments in their midst. That runs counter to the impulses of many self-driving vehicle developers, who argue that a 'patchwork' of local rules is preventing the countrywide rollout of technology that could save lives," notes Marshall.

Even though AV technology is evolving more slowly than anticipated, cities need to plan ahead, and the NACTO guide portrays a future where, with the right policies in places, AVs make cities more livable, equitable places. "Some of the largest and most influential cities in the country are clearly concerned that the autonomous vehicle experiment might go poorly for them. But they are still optimistic," says Marshall.