AV Developments Look Good for Drinking and Transit - but maybe not both at the same time

Buses, drinking, and sleek accessible vehicles are all around in autonomous vehicles (AVs) news these days. Maybe if I can't keep up, I can share in the alcohol industry's euphoria about the prospects of ditching the designated driver and the inebriated driver for guilt-free evenings of fine wine, craft beers, and/or drunkenness.

Why not have another glass of wine or four beers?

Both the alcohol industry and those who fight against drunk driving are advocating in favor of AVs. According to a Washington Post article:

Without the need to drive home after a night at the bar, drinkers could also consume far more. And that will boost alcohol sales, one analysis predicts, by as much as $250 billion. 

“It makes a lot of sense that the industry is interested,” said Jim Watson, a senior beverage analyst at Rabobank, a multinational finance firm. “It’s a win-win for them: Self-driving cars could boost alcohol sales and simultaneously reduce drunk driving.”

Apparently, alcohol retailers also make significantly more money if you purchase drinks, beer, or wine at a restaurant or a bar than if you buy at a store.

Or take the bus - driverless - to or at the airport

The UK and Australia are both considering airport-related AV bus services. Gatwick Airport, near London, will pilot the AV equivalent of an airport shuttle. The summer of 2018 will see the beginning of a six-month trial.

Australia has a much more ambitious AV project under discussion - an AV bus rapid transit (BRT) route to an airport with a dedicated lane - so that travelers will not be slowed down by auto traffic. This plan is so cool because it would integrate BRT with AV technology and combine them in a scheme that would be much cheaper than a rail train-to-the-plane project. Look at the post because there is a neat video that envisions the ambitious plan for Liverpool, a city in Australia, to the soon-to-be-built Western Sydney Airport.

Down in the heart of Texas 

As I have said before, it is outside the major cities that AVs are progressing in terms of excitement and concrete plans. A Texas city illustrates the point that while New York City has no public document about AV strategy or large-scale AV service, smaller communities are planning publicly-available transportation for the AV age.

Frisco, TX, a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, will have an autonomous bus this year. The AV bus was mentioned at a town hall meeting. An official announcement is expected soon.