As the industry pushes ahead in fits and starts, local officials and first responders are scrambling to develop protocols for handling driverless vehicles.

In an article for The New York Times, Yiwen Lu describes how driverless vehicles are creating headaches for city workers and officials and, in some cases, putting residents in danger. “In San Francisco and Austin, Texas, where passengers can hail autonomous vehicles, the cars have slowed down emergency response times, caused accidents, increased congestion and added to the workloads of local officials, said police officers, firefighters and other city employees.”
In one example from San Francisco, two Waymo autonomous vehicles blocked an ambulance from leaving a scene after picking up a patient, delaying their arrival at the hospital by seven minutes that could have made a difference between life and death.
Now, cities around the country are preparing for autonomous vehicles—and expending public resources—by creating dedicated city offices and training first responders to deal with self-driving cars. San Francisco’s fire chief, Jeanine Nicholson, told the Times that “her department was now at a ‘decent place’ with the companies and added that Cruise’s suspension offered more time to work out issues with the cars in emergency situations. But she anticipated more meetings and adjustments as other self-driving companies moved in.” After issuing controversial approvals in August, California rescinded Cruise’s license two months later.
FULL STORY: ‘Lost Time for No Reason:’ How Driverless Taxis Are Stressing Cities

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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