AV Shuttles in the Outback and US; MADD Partners

Yes, I will admit that to a native New Yorker, anything beyond Ohio, let alone Chicago, seems like the outback, but that is where AVs are taking hold first. By the way, I am simply being self-aware here and not proud of this mindset as I work with many lovely people across the US who see far prettier landscapes than I do everyday and live outside of the DC and NY bubbles.

Plus, we already have 12 mph vehicles in NYC; that's called regular traffic.

Australia

Perth has had a driverless shuttle for over a year and the Darwin Airport just had its own AV shuttle demo to ferry folks on airport grounds. This was the "EZ10 shuttle from Transdev and Easymile." However, this was only a two-day demonstration last week to show the wonders of new transportation technology and to get the conversation started.

Meanwhile, a suburb in Queensland, Australia, is planning for a totally AV system in a private area. Springfield - not the one in Illinois or Massachusetts - is a suburb of Ipswich and this week it is hosting an EasyMile AV shuttle demo.

Minneapolis wants another taste

Now that Minnesota had its first taste with an AV shuttle, this during the winter in downtown Minneapolis during Super Bowl week, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MNDOT) is moving on demos elsewhere in its biggest city. ""I've ridden on the vehicle, and it feels a bit like the people-mover at the airport that runs between terminals," says [Hennepin] county transit director John Doan."

The Hennepin County Board just approved the idea for a demo in another location. That location is the Greenway, which advocates are touting as part of a route for another light rail line. The Greenway is a six-mile bike and pedestrian trail. "Driverless rides will be offered over a weekend in April. They'll take place along a 2-3 block stretch." Rides will be fare free.

FYI: If you go out to Minneapolis to ride an AV shuttle, take the time to go have pancakes at Mickey's Diner in St. Paul. The place is tiny, so get there early or on the very late side.

One more FYI: I know John Doan and he heads up Mobility 4 All, which is advocating for accessible AVs for people with disabilities. Mobility 4 All is a partner in the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets.

Even the Marines

A Marine Corps air station in California is planning for AV routes, as in real service, on a sprawling base in Miramar, CA. "Two routes on the air station, a “rural” and “urban” route, will provide opportunities for stakeholders to initiate autonomous vehicle testing and development projects. The rural route is located on East Miramar where autonomous vehicle technology testing began early February 2018."

The AVs will be vans and they will also be part of a connected vehicle project.

Buffalo university buys a shuttle

The state university of New York campus at Buffalo has purchased an Olli with help from the NYS DOT and the NYS Energy and Research Development Authority. The Olli, a product of Local Motors, will be used on campus for first-mile/last-mile service to and from public transit. Service is not set to begin until at least the end of April.

Public good case for AVs

MADD and Velodyne Lidar have entered into a partnership to do something unspecified for the cause of getting humans away from the steering wheel.

To fulfill this vision, Velodyne and MADD have adopted the shared mission of promoting and advancing Autonomous Vehicle technology with the singular goal of getting you and your loved ones home – safely. The Designated Driver of the future is Velodyne LiDAR. Velodyne LiDAR will never be drunk, drugged, distracted, or even drowsy.

Following the press release, I have not seen anything more detailed.

MADD is an easy partner because unlike advocacy groups for people with disabilities, MADD's push to transport drunk and tipsy people - who seem to greatly overestimate their ability to drive under the influence of alcohol (or other substances) - without having them drive does not require any accessible equipment or interfaces.

And if I sound snarky, I do not mean to. I have known a few people who have been killed in car crashes and I have seen a dear friend try to rebuild her life after her son's death. My father's best friend was killed by a drunk driver. Already two young adults from my daughter's high school class have been killed on US roads. I applaud MADD for encouraging AV technology.

Velodyne is supplying lidar technology to Ford, Volvo, Baidu, Mercedes and other companies, according to the Velodyne Lidar homepage. MADD is a partner in the Self-Driving Coalition for Safer Streets.

Washington - the District and the State

DC brewing, distilleries, pop-up art and now AVs - time to rethink this city

I'll use the words prudent and leary, as in wary of new things, instead of employing the politically charged word "conservative;" but perhaps provincial is the best word for DC. And now, even DC is considering - not actually contracted to, not with actual date set - a small-scale autonomous vehicle (AV) shuttle pilot. Yes, after pondering in Bismarck, ND, and pilots in Arlington, TX, and in Contra Costa, Calif., DC is actively thinking and soliciting thoughts.

Last week, the mayor, Muriel Bowser, put out a "Request for Information [RFI] from private sector companies developing autonomous vehicle (AV) technology, seeking partnerships and industry input on policies and procedures to guide pilot projects within the District." This would be in an area with relatively little traffic, near tourist sites, and that the District wants to promote due to new development. According to this same article, "Starship Technologies autonomous delivery robots ... can be seen traversing sidewalks in Logan Circle and 14th Street, NW." You don't see those roaming near Metro Center and the White House.

The AV pilot RFI is the product of a municipal interagency working group and the business improvement district (BID) where the pilot would take place. The Mayor's press release identifies the municipal partners as including planning, transportation, emergency services and police, energy and the environment, the DMV, the Department of For-Hire Vehicles, and the Office on Aging, and Office of Disability Rights.

While in the other Washington, leaps ahead

Oh yes, anyone who says "Washington State" is likely from the East Coast. True that for me. Washington, the state, has AV cars in Kirkland and  AV planning in Seattle. In Seattle,

A three-person team has been assigned to monitor what the area’s 20-plus autonomous vehicle firms are doing, while also researching what issues the city will have to address when self-driving cars are advanced enough and plentiful enough to require regulation. Among the things the team is considering: whether the city government or a corporation—similar a phone company or a cable services provider—should build and maintain the master computers, transmission towers and data storage facilities that self-driving cars will require.

I'm sure this trio realizes that they are in a somewhat precarious position because the public sector, especially in cities, is the tail being wagged both by state governments preempting municipalities and by corporations and startups interested in their own rewards as much as in the public good - as defined locally.

Plan for this

In Singapore, testing begins next year on full-size AV Volvo buses. Time for transit to start planning and for drivers to get serious about Plan B.

Brought to You by the Letter P for Pittsburgh and Perth

Way, way, way too busy with autonomous vehicle (AV) work on top of actual work and actual life. So here is what I see as important news this week. I am not covering the Uber/Waymo settlement. It's everywhere, easy to find, and the professional reading equivalent of the last episode of the season of a guilty-pleasure TV drama. Oh my, though, right?

City of bridges and AVs

I just went to Pittsburgh, in the worst weather possible, and found an entire transportation community knowledgable about AVs and robotics. I am talking people working in programs for older adults, people with disabilities, and healthcare transportation - not staff from startups or Uber.

[From TheIncline]

This morning, I found a great article in my feed from TheIncline, which is closely monitoring the bubbling, active AV testing going on downtown and elsewhere in Pittsburgh. Truly amazing as well because the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is quite enthusiastic about AVs, so there is none of the usual state/city friction that one sees in many other states.

I hope to have the time to return to state legislative developments, and there are some in Pennsylvania. Carnegie Mellon University has really solidified itself as a center for AV and robotics technology and has almost single-handedly launched Pittsburgh into a major contender.

For right now, it's ridehailing giant Uber providing rides. There is no AV shuttle - yet, but there is plenty of planning.

Down under city starting with P

Perth is also in the forefront and an old hat in the AV transit bus world. It has had an AV bus since 2016, practically the middle ages in terms of AV pilots. The AV bus is open to the public and the city will be hosting a launch of AV ridehailing this year, otherwise called on-demand. Navya will be the partner for that project, which will use cars.

I'm including the link because I keep getting redirected to a subscription page. Here is the link: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/perth-residents-embrace-driverless-vehicle-technology/news-story/6f0a3b8288db6e791bba316477906f8c.

Cross-country in a truck

Embark can boast a successful demonstration with a coast-to-coast US truck trip with its AV truck. Do not get too excited because there was a driver and that person did take over a few times. The trip was from LA to Florida. Quietly, Embark is accomplishing quite a bit with frequent LA to El Paso trips. Now there's a beach destination.

Private Roadways = No Motor Vehicle Laws

On your driveway, inside a college campus, or within a private retirement community's gates, regular motor vehicle and speed laws do not apply.These private roads are regulated and policed by their owners or whoever has legal control of those grounds. Two international examples show how autonomous vehicle (AV) companies are taking advantage of these self-regulating roadways because the technology, thus far, is ahead of legislators and regulators.

Kiwi AVs soon to spread

A report out of the New Zealand states that a homegrown company has gone big into AV shuttles and is about to launch regular service at the Christchurch airport. HMI Technologies was a partner in an AV pilot at the airport, but then it went out and manufactured its own vehicles, which it plans to deploy in the near term on private roads, but, as this September 2017 video shows, its ambitious involve public roadways as well.

College campus in China

With an EasyMile logo on the front of this AV shuttle, Southeast University in Nanjing is beginning campus AV service. At least for now, rides are fare free for students and staff; no word on tourist access. Nanjing is west of Shanghai and the city has a population of over eight million people.