It might be fun to imagine a a world filled with self-driving cars, reducing traffic and improving safety with one silver bullet. The more realistic short-term scenario, however, deploys low-speed, self-driving buses on private campuses.
According to an article by Nathaniel Mott, "while much of the focus has been on personal vehicles, public transit is more than likely going to be where we see [autonomous vehicle technology] adopted sooner."
To back that claim, Mott focuses on the self-driving bus project called Olli, interviewing project manager Jonathan Garrett. Olli is the work of Local Motors, a vehicle technology company located in Phoenix, Knoxville and National Harbor.
In the interview, Garrett explains why Local Motors chose a bus for the Olli project:
One of the reasons we’re tackling a low-speed, shared-use vehicle is because it’s easier to deploy. Being classified as a low-speed vehicle means you don’t have to meet certain regulatory requirements and you can operate much more easily on private campuses. So you’re going to see it in environments like that.
Garrett also talks about self-driving buses as a first-last mile solution for transit, the potential of self-driving technology in rural areas, the potential cybersecurity risks of autonomous vehicles, and more.
FULL STORY: Your First Autonomous Vehicle Experience Will Be in a Bus Like This
Still No Flying Cars: The Underwhelming Progress of Autonomous Vehicles
While we're still far from a Jetsons-style reality, understated autonomous features could be the key to safer transportation.
Why Self-Driving Buses Hold More Potential than Self-Driving Cars
An article by Greg Lindsay and Anthony Townsend takes the shine off of self-driving cars and identifies a preferable avenue for autonomous vehicle technology: buses.
Is Infrastructure Ready for Autonomous Vehicles?
Assessing the readiness of current infrastructure for autonomous vehicles to understand the challenges and necessary adaptations for seamless integration in urban environments.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
EPA Terminates $116 Million in Grants for Reducing Emissions from Construction Materials
C-MORE grants were earmarked for industry trade groups and universities.
BART Closes $35 Million Deficit
Cost control and revenue generation measures prevented service cuts.
The New Parisian Hearse is a Bicycle
Sleek, silent, and sustainable, a green trip to the graveyard has hit the streets of the French capital.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland