Beyond Michigan - States Vying for Driverless Testing

A few US states, though behind the curve, are trying in their own auto-centered ways to catch up to the 21st century. Arizona and Pennsylvania are attempting to become more testing-friendly to driverless vehicle companies. 

William Pitt would be proud

Pennsylvania is planning for testing on actual roads, with the help of the corporate representation of Uber on its Autonomous Vehicles Testing Policy Task Force, which has been meeting recently, according to reports in the press. Despite reports that GM is represented on the committee, the June 2016 PennDOT press release about the committee does not indicate that is so. In fact, Uber is the only company represented. There are also task force members from AAA and the trucking and insurance industries. 

Article from govtech.com
Article from The Morning Call

Pennsylvania is contemplating driver-free - no driver required in the vehicle - testing. The state is concerned that Carnegie Mellon, especially, maintains a good position in the driverless race. Uber, Carnegie Mellon, and Pittsburgh are heavily invested and represented on the task force.

Get a driverless Uber in September - that's 2016

Uber will be the first, passing Google, Ford, GM, and others in the rear mirror - to bring driverless shared-use service to the public - only in Pittsburgh.

Starting later this month, Uber will allow customers in downtown Pittsburgh to summon self-driving cars from their phones, crossing an important milestone that no automotive or technology company has yet achieved. 

There will be drivers in the car, a la the drivers in the Google cars, but with paying passengers.

Arizona on the road

Arizona is not exactly known as a progressive state and it is quite auto centered. Try walking in Phoenix or staying the weekend downtown car-free, let alone anywhere else in the state.

But Arizona's governor is bullish on driverless testing. An oversight committee of state officials met this week to discuss the encouragement of encouraging more driverless testing in the state. 

Google is expanding testing to Chandler, AZ. It has been mapping the streets and it held an open house with residents last week. 

GM is also testing in Arizona, in Scottsdale. AZDOT, the state's department of transportation, seems very relaxed about this, with statements that nothing prevents driverless marketing in the state.